Vocational training in Mozambique: worker's rights

Does the company have to train you? Yes — within limits. Law 13/2023 establishes the worker's right of access to vocational training (Art. 245) and specifies who provides it when you are already employed: your own employer (Art. 245, paragraph 3).

And those who have just graduated have a guaranteed floor in post-training work internships: compensation of no less than 75% of the professional category (Art. 126, paragraph 2). The law sets the floor; anything above that is up for negotiation.

In this Inademy guide, you have the complete map: what the law guarantees, who pays, the 75% rule, and where you can demand each right.

In thirty seconds, the essentials:

• The right: access to vocational training to improve skills, update technology, and reskill (Art. 245, paragraph 1).
• Who pays, while employed: the employer, not the State (Art. 245, paragraph 3).
• Post-training internship: floor of 75% of the category salary; the duration is not defined in the law (Art. 126, paragraph 2).
• Were you already receiving salary?: you maintain it during the internship if the agreed amount is lower (Art. 126, paragraph 3).
• The employer organizes an annual training plan in the company, with potential certification (Art. 248, paragraph 2).

What the law guarantees: the right to training

Art. 245, paragraph 1, is verbatim: «Workers have the right of access to vocational training to improve their technical skills, update technology, and undergo professional retraining, with the State and employers responsible for ensuring and providing training offers for the benefit of workers».

The right belongs to the worker; the offering is up to the State and the employer. It is not a blank check: the law does not give you the right to choose any course at the company's expense. Art. 246 outlines the objectives: providing access to training opportunities, encouraging the employer, and increasing productivity and competitiveness.

Art. 247 adds career guidance, in collaboration with the education system: information about occupations, promotion prospects, and working conditions. The full framework is available in the Labor Law 13/2023 guide.

Who pays: the employer of active workers

When you are already employed, training is ensured by the employer. Art. 245, paragraph 3, is short and clear: «The vocational training of active workers is ensured by their respective employers.»

The State does not step in to pay for your training as an employee. Its role is more general: providing training offerings (paragraph 1), organizing free public placement services (Art. 240, item f), and promoting pre-professional internships (Art. 244). While employed, the bill is on the company.

Art. 248, paragraph 1, concludes the reasoning: «Active workers are entitled to vocational training actions, according to the employer's needs.» The right exists, but it is calibrated against what the company needs: it is not your dream course at their expense, but training that serves your role and the organization.

The annual training plan and the certificate

The same Art. 248, paragraph 2, directs the employer to organize and structure annual vocational training plans in the company, «with potential right to a certificate». This is where the right materializes: one plan per year, not a one-off action.

Items a) to e) list the objectives: stimulating productivity, qualifying workers, enabling career advancement, preparing technological development, and facilitating the continuation of studies outside the company, without interfering with working hours.

Three practical consequences: you can ask what the plan foresees for your role; the training provides a certificate when the company specifies it; and the law does not give you the right to choose the field — only to be included according to the employer's needs. Without a plan, the discussion is with HR or the union, not a direct demand from your position.

Post-training internship: the 75% rule

Have you just graduated and a company accepts you into a post-training work internship? That's where Art. 126, paragraph 2 comes in: «Recent graduates shall earn, during the post-vocational training work internship period, compensation of no less than at least seventy-five percent of the compensation corresponding to the respective professional category.»

Three details. The floor is 75%, not 100%: the law sets the minimum; anything above is at the employer's discretion. The basis is the salary for the professional category, not a generic amount. And the law does not fix the duration of the internship — do not assume "six months": the duration is what is in the contract you signed.

Hypothetical example for calculation: if the category corresponds to 24,000 MT per month, the legal floor for the internship is 18,000 MT per month. Below that, do not sign. Your sector's salary benchmark can be found in the minimum wage by sector table.

And what if you were already an active worker when entering the internship? Paragraph 3 protects you: you maintain the salary you were receiving whenever the agreed amount is lower.

During the internship, all other labor rules apply. The guide to work leave and rest periods applies fully, even under the 75% regime.

Apprentice: a separate regime

There is a second path: the apprenticeship contract (Art. 250). The employer commits to ensuring the apprentice's training, «in collaboration with other institutions», and the apprentice performs the related tasks. The contract is written and includes the identification of the parties, the content and duration of the apprenticeship, the working hours and location, and «the amount of the training grant» (paragraph 2).

Two details. The duration is «variable according to customary practices of the profession» (Art. 249, paragraph 2): ask about customary practice in your profession before signing. The apprentice is not an employee (Art. 250, paragraph 5) — their rights are governed by specific legislation. The minimum age limit is twelve full years (Art. 249, paragraph 3).

There is also the pre-employment contract (Art. 250, paragraph 3), which allows the apprentice to practice the profession serving the entity that provided the apprenticeship.

And for those finishing their studies, the pre-professional internship under Art. 244 is another gateway: the Government promotes it, employers who host paid final-year students enjoy tax benefits under specific legislation, and the internship counts toward work experience. Contract types are detailed in the guide to employment contracts in Mozambique.

What workers can demand (and what they cannot)

You can demand, based on the law:

• To be included in the annual training plan of the company, according to the employer's needs (Art. 248, paragraphs 1-2).
• The certificate, when the company specifies it in the plan (Art. 248, paragraph 2).
• In post-training internships, the floor of 75% of the category salary (Art. 126, paragraph 2).
• If you already earned a salary, no reduction during the internship (Art. 126, paragraph 3).
• Under the apprenticeship regime, a written contract stating the training grant (Art. 250, paragraph 2).

And you cannot demand:

• Training in any area of your choosing — Art. 248, paragraph 1, aligns it with the employer's needs.
• 100% salary during internship — the law sets the floor at 75%; anything above is at the employer's discretion.
• Fixed internship duration — the law does not define it; what counts is the contract.

The rest of the overview can be found in the practical list of worker rights.

What the law does not say

The silence of Law 13/2023 covers four key points.

First, the duration of the post-training internship: Articles 244 to 250 address internships, but none sets a duration for post-training. Second, a mandatory public or private training fund: the law outlines training provision and responsibility, not a fund.

Third, the choice of training area by the worker: paragraph 1 of Art. 248 emphasizes the employer's needs. Fourth, penalties for companies that fail to provide training: the law does not specify any; the proper channel is the Labor Inspectorate.

Note to avoid confusion: INEFOP (National Institute of Employment and Vocational Training) is an Angolan institute, not Mozambican. The Mozambican labor sector is overseen by MITESS (Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security), which also oversees INSS.

Where to look for training

Three options, all based on the law.

• In your company: the annual training plan (Art. 248, paragraph 2). Ask HR what the plan includes for your role.
• In the public service: Art. 240, item f), provides for free public placement services; the sector falls under MITESS.
• In the private market and schools: vocational courses, pre-professional internships for graduating students (Art. 244), and apprenticeships (Art. 250), with the stipend stated in the contract.

If you just graduated, the job guide for recent graduates covers the next step: your first contract and what to ask in the interview.

How Inademy helps you

Training enhances your market value — and you leverage it with well-targeted job applications. On Inademy, creating a profile is free, applying is simple, we accept PDF CVs, and new job alerts are sent via email and WhatsApp.

The job openings on Inademy are organized by province and sector — that's where you can measure the return on training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the company have to train me in any field I choose?

No. Art. 248, paragraph 1, grants the right to training actions «according to the employer's needs». What you can expect is to be included in the company's annual plan (paragraph 2); choosing the field is up to the employer.

How much do I earn in a post-training internship?

At minimum, 75% of the compensation for the corresponding professional category (Art. 126, paragraph 2). The law does not fix a duration. If the category corresponds to 24,000 MT per month, the floor is 18,000 MT per month — a hypothetical example; the baseline comes from the minimum wage table.

I am already an employee entering an internship. Will I lose salary?

No. Under Art. 126, paragraph 3, a newly qualified active worker maintains the salary they were previously earning whenever the agreed amount for the internship is lower. The internship is no excuse for a pay reduction.

Does an apprentice get paid?

Yes: a training grant, stated in the written contract (Art. 250, paragraph 2). An apprentice does not hold employee status (paragraph 5) — their rights are governed by specific legislation.

Does the State pay for active worker training?

No. Art. 245, paragraph 3, is clear: the vocational training of active workers is ensured by their respective employers. The State provides training offerings (paragraph 1) and free public placement services (Art. 240, item f).

What if the company doesn't train me?

The law does not outline a direct penalty for omitting the annual plan — that is the limit of what can be demanded today. The appropriate channel is the Labor Inspectorate; step-by-step guidance is available in the guide to the Labor Inspectorate and trade unions.

Where these numbers come from

• Law 13/2023 (Mozambique Labor Law), Official Gazette (Boletim da República), Series I, No. 165, of 25-08-2023, effective since 21-02-2024: quotes transcribe Articles 126, 240, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, and 250 of the official text.
• The 75% is the only percentage from the law cited here (Art. 126, paragraph 2). The figures of 24,000 and 18,000 MT are hypothetical arithmetic based on that rule, not company or table figures.
• MITESS (Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security): verified on 15-09-2026 on official pages mozgis.gov.mz and inss.gov.mz; oversees the labor sector and INSS.
• INEFOP (National Institute of Employment and Vocational Training) is an Angolan institute — verified on 15-09-2026 (maptss.gov.ao) — and was excluded from this text.
• The duration of the post-training internship: Law 13/2023 does not define it; confirmed in the text (Articles 126 and 244 to 250) — it was not invented.

In summary, what to do today

1. Read your contract and your company's annual training plan: is your role included?
2. If you are a recent graduate, calculate the floor: 75% of the category salary (Art. 126, paragraph 2). Below that, do not sign.
3. If you were already earning a salary, check the rule in paragraph 3: the internship cannot reduce your pay.
4. Apprentice? Demand a written contract stating the training grant (Art. 250, paragraph 2).
5. Ask HR in writing what the plan includes for you.
6. Update your Inademy profile and enable job alerts — when your training pays off, job opportunities will already be finding you.

Official source: Law No. 13/2023 (Labour Law) is available as a PDF on the website of Mozambique's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo): official text (PDF).