Over three years have elapsed since the Tunisian Revolution. Yet the aspirations of the younger generation that sparked sweeping changes across the Middle East and North Africa Region remain unmet. Unemployment among young people aged 15–29 increased after the revolution, with an official youth unemployment rate of 33.2 percent in 2013, according to the most recent International Labour Organisation School-to-Work Transition survey (ILO 2014). This report identifies specific categories of excluded youth and characterizes them according to multiple factors, including regional disparities, gender inequalities, and limited access to education, employment, and social goods.

This report finds that Tunisian youth could benefit from an innovative approach that connects education to jobs in a three-way collaboration among the school system, technical colleges, and local corporate partners. Many workplace skills, including teamwork and other social skills, problem-solving, and verbal and writing skills should be embedded in the curriculum. Course learning should be based on actual projects to enable students to work in teams, solve problems, practice presentation skills, and create business plans. Structured visits to companies partnering with the model should be part of the academic program. In addition, a mentoring program covering each student from his or her school’s corporate partner would provide in-depth career counseling and provide opportunities for visiting workplaces and learning through internships.