Madagascar Partners Orange to Strengthen Digital Skills Training

Madagascar has partnered with telecommunications operator Orange Madagascar to improve digital skills training, expand professional certification and better align vocational education with employers’ needs.

The agreement, signed on 8 October between the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training and Orange Madagascar, focuses on developing skills frameworks, updating training programmes and strengthening links between vocational institutions and businesses.

The partnership also aims to expand certified and diploma-granting courses, support youth entrepreneurship and improve economic opportunities for young people and women.

It follows a September agreement with French digital skills organisation Pix, which focuses on assessing and certifying digital competencies. The partnership will allow learners to measure their proficiency, demonstrate skills acquired through training and obtain formal recognition that they can use throughout their careers.

Madagascar Expands Digital Training Programmes

The agreements form part of Madagascar’s wider effort to improve digital literacy and employment prospects. In September 2025, authorities announced a target to train 40,000 people in digital skills by 2028.

The government has also introduced programmes targeting young people entering the workforce. In October 2025, the first cohort of the Skills4Job initiative was launched, while the ASAN’AI programme opened applications in January 2026 for a free, 15-month digital skills course targeting 1,300 young people.

Madagascar has pursued additional international partnerships to expand technology training. In February 2024, the country signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to train one million young people in emerging technologies.

The government is also working with the International Organisation of La Francophonie through its DECLIC project, which aims to strengthen digital skills among vocational training students. The initiative covers five institutions across four regions.

Youth Employment Remains a Challenge

Despite these programmes, Madagascar faces significant barriers to youth employment. World Bank figures released in March 2026 indicate that nearly 420,000 people enter the labour market annually. About 98.9% of employed young people work in the informal sector, while approximately 1.5 million people aged 15–24 are not in employment, education or training.

The employment rate stands at 58.1% among those aged 15–24, compared with 70.5% among people aged 20–24.

Education gaps and mismatches between training and employer requirements also limit job opportunities. According to the World Bank, nearly 70% of young people have not progressed beyond primary education, while 19.3% of the population is illiterate.

Employers report difficulties finding suitably trained workers, particularly in energy, information and communications technology (ICT), and agriculture.

The World Bank has also identified weaknesses in the country’s vocational training system, including gaps in certification, limited business involvement in defining skills requirements and inadequate tracking of graduates’ employment outcomes.

Madagascar’s agreements with Orange Madagascar and Pix aim to address parts of this challenge by improving the quality and recognition of digital skills training. Their impact will depend on how effectively training institutions and employers work together to ensure that qualifications match available jobs and business needs.