Vocational training in Morocco aims to meet businesses' needs

04/01/2007

Vocational training in Morocco is increasingly adapting to the expectations of businesses -- and young trainees themselves.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat -- 04/01/07

CAPTION

Morocco's vocational training sector has undergone considerable changes over the last few years. The number of young people with vocational qualifications on the labour market doubled from 2003-2006 to 400,000. In 2006, there were 142,000 young people enrolled in training courses, 2.7 times higher than in 2002-2003.

In order to cope with the rising numbers, "The Office for Vocational Training and the Promotion of Employment (OFPPT) has increased its capacity by setting up 27 new offices, including eight specialising in tourism and four specialised in Information and Communication Technology," Larbi Bencheikh, the chief executive of OFPPT said.

He says the specialist skills that the OFPPT is putting onto the market address the real needs of businesses. "At least 60% of trainees find jobs within a few months of leaving OFPPT centres."

The state is also using vocational as a way of encouraging young people to seek employment and become active members of society, Bencheikh said. "We are meeting our targets through partnership with employers and signing contracts with a variety of partners including public authorities, professional associations, social and economic partners and NGOs," he says.

The government is to allocate $600,000 for training expenses for people enrolled in approved centres. "This shows the government is now involved in funding a certain amount of training in specialist technical disciplines which are of prime importance for the national economy," Chakib Tazi, the president of the Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Manufacturers, said

However, some employers believe there is still a long way to go before all their needs are met. Hotel manager Karim Bouayad says that despite these efforts, training has been and still is being neglected in the tourism sector.

Training chiefs at the Ministry of Tourism agree. "Our department has carried out a quantitative and qualitative study," confirms Mohamed Bouhata, assistant director for training at the Ministry. He says that the study showed up failings in the vocational training system and its lack of relevance to the real needs of employers and the industry.

However, he also believes that credit should be given for the efforts made in recent years to improve vocational training, saying that in addition to the development of businesses' human resources, since 1996-1997 the authorities -- together with industry partners – have been undertaking a wide-ranging reform aimed at encouraging companies to make continuing education a part of their business plans.

These include the creation of multi-sector advisory bodies made up of trade organisations and federations and a second strategy aimed at developing continuing education within the framework of a system of special training contracts. This system is intended to encourage companies to make training an integral part of their business plans by giving financial support to help them develop and implement staff training programmes.

Hotel services trainee Laila El Younsi says that her apprenticeship has given her experience of real-life work situations. In her view, "the two key words which best sum up this approach are 'integrate' and 'respond'."