Industrial pact to create 220,000 jobs in Morocco by 2015

19/02/2009

Moroccan authorities and private enterprises sign the National Pact for Industrial Emergence to boost the country's industry.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 19/02/09

[File] Moroccan Minister of Education Ahmed Akhchichine will provide support for the National Pact for Industrial Emergence.

King Mohammed VI presided over the signing Friday (February 13th) in Fez of the National Pact for Industrial Emergence, a collaborative agreement between the public and private sectors for industrial development in Morocco.

The new programme will require 12.4 billion dirhams in funding, with 34% going towards training and human resources and 24% to encourage investment.

The implementation of the Pact will allow the creation of 220,000 new jobs between 2009 and 2015 in Morocco's six world-class activities: off shoring, car production, aeronautics, electronics, textiles and leather, and agribusiness.

"Morocco cannot set out such ambitious targets without having the necessary skills and expertise in the target sectors," said Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research Ahmed Akhchichine.

Training, to which one-third of the programme contract funding is devoted, will be a key element in the process.

"We need to concentrate on specialisation in universities," added Akhchichine.

The ministry of employment and vocational training promised to support the Pact. In partnership with professional bodies, the ministry will develop training programmes at a number of levels: initial training, ongoing training, and training upon hire.

"The number of people available with the necessary skills will have a major bearing on the success of the National Pact for Industrial Emergence," noted Minister of Employment and Vocational Training Jamal Aghmani.

The ministry must generate 220,000 degree qualifications over the period 2009-2015 for initial training: 70,000 for off shoring, 70,000 in the car production sector, 15,000 in space and aeronautics, 9,000 in electronics, 32,000 in textiles and leather, and 24,000 in agribusiness.

ix specialist-training institutions will be set up by the ministry. Professionals from each sector will ensure the management of the institutions.

A direct aid package for companies was set up to conduct training upon hire and ongoing training in the sectors of car production, aeronautics, electronics, and off shoring. The aid package of 1.7 billion dirhams for 2009-2012 will also help businesses develop qualification and retraining programmes.

The National Pact on Industrial Development seeks not only to create long-term industrial jobs and reduce urban unemployment, but also to reduce the trade deficit. It aims also to increase industrial GDP, support industrial development, both nationally and internationally, and contribute to development.

"In order to mobilise and co-ordinate the actions of the state and economic operators, the Pact aims to build a strong industrial sector and to create a virtuous circle of growth," said Minister of Industry, Trade and New Technologies Ahmed Reda Chami. "What is more, it enshrines the democratic principles of dialogue and transparency, the importance of human resources and corporate social responsibility."