University education and jobs in Mauritania

Unemployment results from a double imbalance between the supply and demand of employment: a quantitative imbalance and a qualitative imbalance. At the qualitative level, the imbalance is explained by the mismatch between training and employment. The question of the employability of the products is acutely raised. Overall, we note a low qualification of job seekers in the face of the opportunities that exist. Higher education is mainly concentrated in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. There are currently two public universities, all based in Nouakchott. These are the University of Nouakchott and the University of Science and Technology and Medicine. In addition, there are a dozen private higher education institutions offering specific courses in accounting, finance and management. All graduates who have only had a basic theoretical training are unemployed or at best in precarious employment after leaving the University of Nouakchott. The question that is raised is the adequacy of university training with the changing needs of the labor market. Initiatives are currently underway. They essentially consist of building a bridge with the professional world and a better knowledge of the labor market.