Entitled 'Winning the quality challenge and sustaining the developments of vocational training', point 2 of the presidential programme for the period 2005-2009 defined two directional strategies:

			To achieve a leap forward in quality, as regards the competencies of human resources in the sector and to make the option of lifelong learning a reality.
			To ensure that vocational training guarantees, together with education and higher education and in collaboration with different professional structures, the most appropriate training for the jobs of the future and for new forms of employment.

Overall objectives

The programme recommends focusing on the following objectives:

			Increasing the number of participants in vocational training programmes from 140,000 annually to 300,000 by the end of 2009, covering 8,000 economic enterprises.
			Increasing the number of graduates from the national system of vocational training to 65,000 per annum, and consolidating training with enterprise and the pursuit of quality.
			Revising the financing system by establishing new and simplified procedures that will enable both enterprises and individuals to benefit from incentives and training activities.

Promoting vocational training as a path for success, by:

			Building bridges between the two systems of education and training
			Improving the scale of qualifications by creating new possibilities and supplementary streams in the field of vocational training
			Ensuring the right of trainees to achieve recognised qualifications by a fundamental revision of the training system.

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Strategy and MANFORME.

Objectives

The global objective

The strategy for the presidential programme 2005-2009 aims to improve quality in the public and private vocational training sector for initial and continuing training, in order to satisfy the needs of enterprises and to adapt to technological changes in a way that complements national education and higher education.

Three specific objectives

The global objective for vocational training for 2005-2009 has been translated into three specific objectives, and each specific objective has been translated into a specific goal.

Specific objective 1:

Continuing with the reform of the vocational training system.

Specific objective 2:

Developing the efficiency of the infrastructure for vocational training.

Specific objective 3:

Promoting vocational training so it becomes a path to success.

Strategy and MANFORME

The 11th Presidential Plan laid the ground for continued reform of the VET sector in Tunisia (which has been a priority in the country since 1993). It called for parity in quality of education and aimed to provide skilled workers for the labour market and encourage the concept of lifelong learning (apprentissage tout au cours de la vie).

The result was a law passed by the government in February 2008, which aims to:

			Increase the intake of students into the VET stream
			Ensure sector committees are led by industry professionals
			Develop the QA system further. This is known as the RNQFP Referentiel National de la Qualité de la Formation Professional (RNQFP or National Framework for the Quality of VT) which includes auto-evaluation (self assessment - this has been in place since 2002)
			Continue the work of competency based curricula (80% is competence based).

MANFORME II will take much of this forward. MANFORME II, started in 2007, is a project supported financially by the EU and other bilateral aid, but led by the Ministry of Education and Training, following the success of the first project, MANFORME 1.

MANFORME I

MANFORME I, born as a result of the 9th and 10th Presidential Plans, was a large reform project which aimed to:

			Create a demand-led VET system
			Improve quality and efficacy
			Increase the capacity of institutions (both private and public).

The overarching driver for the project was to increase the competitiveness of Tunisian businesses and offer foreign investors a qualified workforce.  Results included the analysis of around 160 businesses in seven sectors, completion of 13 sectoral syntheses and the creation of a bank of competences for particular occupations.

The role of CENAFFIF (the national training centre for technical education and training) as a developer of curricula and teacher training was reinforced.  In all, 264 programmes were developed and certification was reinforced.  Seven centres were restructured and re-equipped.  A system for quality assurance was developed (RNQFP) which included self assessment.  Nine centres were certified ISO9001.

MANFORME II

MANFORME II works in support of reforms by:

			Creating an observatory for competences and “innovative” professions
			Reinforcing the role of partners and industry in the “Conseils D’Etablissements” – employer and education groups responsible for creating and checking competences (now led by an industry professional instead of a school director)
			Working in partnership to continue improvement of continued VET
			Working for the recognition of apprenticeships
			Introducing a body of inspectors
			Putting in place a framework for the recognition of apprenticeships
			Ensuring progression of the RNQFP (QA system) in schools
			Increasing the number of centres that have ISO9001.

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