Occupational Safety and Health: A Lever for Quality Technical Training in Construction and Maintenance in Tunisia

HAMMAMET (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training (ATFP), has taken a major step forward in improving Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training in the Construction and Public Works (BTP) and Maintenance sectors. Following an initial workshop held in June, a new technical meeting took place in Hammamet from 29 September to 1 October 2025 to harmonize OSH training modules in line with international standards.

Organized within the framework of the THAMM Plus project, with the support of the European Union, the workshop aimed to discuss and finalize the revisions made by ATFP trainers to the OSH modules currently taught in training centres, with technical support from ILO experts. The objective: to ensure compliance with international standards and to strengthen occupational risk prevention in the targeted sectors.

In-depth technical work

Over the course of three days, participants – mainly trainers from the ATFP and CENAFFIF who had been involved since the first workshop – conducted a critical review and finalized chapters covering a cross-cutting training component common to all specializations (the general foundation):

• legislation and standards
• prevention
• occupational accidents and diseases

This technical work helped consolidate harmonized and adapted versions, thereby strengthening the quality of training delivered in the Construction and Maintenance streams.

Towards a joint action plan

The workshop also provided an opportunity to develop a joint ATFP–THAMM Plus–ILO 2025–2027 action plan, focused primarily on aligning OSH training modules with ILO standards.

This plan foresees, in particular, the development of innovative teaching materials, the training of trainers, and the integration of harmonized chapters into the OSH training modules delivered in the Construction and Maintenance sectors.

A lever for employability and prevention

This second stage of the harmonization process represents a significant step forward in strengthening the safety of workers in high-risk sectors. It also helps equip young people in Tunisia with the skills needed for successful labour market integration, both nationally and internationally.

By bringing together trainers, experts, institutional representatives, and ILO specialists, this workshop reinforces a collaborative dynamic. The goal is clear: to offer young Tunisian women and men vocational training that is more competitive, better aligned with labour market needs, and that leads to recognized qualifications.