By Emmanuel Nduka
Tunisia’s engineering sector is facing a serious crisis, marked by the emigration of 39,000 engineers.
This represents approximately 43% of the 90,000 engineers registered with the Tunisian Order of Engineers (ILO).
Historically known for its high-quality engineering education, Tunisia is now grappling with the global labor market’s growing demand for skilled technical workers.
The data was shared by Kamel Sahnoun, President of the ILO, during a parliamentary session as part of a report from the Committee on Education, Vocational Training, and Scientific Research regarding a proposed bill on private higher education.
The scale of the exodus is alarming. On average, 20 engineers leave Tunisia every day, while around 8,000 engineering graduates enter the local labor market annually. This widening gap between education and job integration is worsened by the increasing appeal of overseas job opportunities.
Training engineers is also a costly endeavor for the state. Sahnoun estimated that the annual cost of engineering education is around 650 million Tunisian dinars, or roughly 2.13 billion euros.
This engineer exodus represents a dual loss for Tunisia: a financial drain and a depletion of vital human capital. To address this, the government is urged to implement policies aimed at retaining technical talent. Suggestions include improving working conditions, offering clearer career advancement prospects, and introducing financial incentives to curb this outflow.
Without significant reform, the ongoing shortage of local expertise could have long-term negative effects on Tunisia’s industrial competitiveness.
