Professional Licenses: OFPPT Impatient
30 September 2014
Read by 3623 persons
Text: The office offers 370,000 training places in 2014-2015 compared to 54,247 in 2001/02. Eleven new training centers are opening this year.
The Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT) has big ambitions for this new school year. A new year marked mainly by the strengthening of the reception capacity, which has been constantly evolving since 2001 to reach 370,000 training places in 2014-2015 compared to 54,247 in 2001/02. This growth is accompanied by an opening to all economic sectors. Thus, the office currently offers more than 100 qualifying training courses and has 171 initial training courses. Industry accounts for a large part of the offer (37%), followed by the tertiary sector (26%) and construction (18%).
Given the demand, the office has expanded its network of establishments. Thus, 11 institutes have been created, including a training center in automotive trades in Casablanca and the School of Training in Construction Trades in Settat.
For Larbi Bencheikh, CEO of OFPPT, this expansion is intended to be a response to the ever-increasing demand, which currently reaches an average of 2 to 3 applications per place, with a forecast of 500,000 training applications expected by the end of 2014.
25,000 young inmates trained since 2002
The office also deploys its services in penitentiary centers. The objective is to contribute to the professional and social integration of young inmates. Set up in 2002, the OFPPT has gone from 5 institutes to 48 currently. Since that date, the office has trained 25,000 inmates in all branches.
That said, not everything is rosy for the leading vocational training operator. Mr. Bencheikh recalled that professional licenses are slow to be integrated into the establishment's educational process simply because the operator has not yet obtained authorization in this regard. A constraint for the office's graduates who are unable to integrate higher education institutions internationally, while access remains restricted in Morocco. To date, only the construction sector has been able to develop professional licenses with local universities.
More work to be done for apprenticeship training
Another problem: apprenticeship training, which is still struggling to develop. In this respect, companies are the main culprits, often pointing to the inadequacy of the office's graduates. This system, which has proven successful in many countries, represents only 20% of the training provided, 57% of which is in industry.
Moreover, Mohamed Slassi, president of the Continuing Training Commission at CGEM, points out that such a mode of learning should be accompanied by compensation, since it involves costs that SMEs cannot afford.
The OFPPT also works for entrepreneurship and employability. The office has around sixty operational counters, whose main mission is to train, guide and support project leaders in the implementation of their projects. To date, these counters have helped to develop 6194 business plans. This has led to the creation of nearly 1,482 businesses and 7,275 jobs.
Even better, 70% of the entrepreneurs supported are graduates of the OFPPT. Since the launch of the post-creation support program for young entrepreneurs, things have improved significantly. The number of project leaders has increased from 1,941 in 2008 to 11,362 during the first 6 months of the current year. During this same first half-year, 1,482 businesses were created.
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published on September 30, 2014.
Online since September 30, 2014.
The Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT) has big ambitions for this new school year. A new year marked mainly by the strengthening of the reception capacity, which has been constantly evolving since 2001 to reach 370,000 training places in 2014-2015 compared to 54,247 in 2001/02. This growth is accompanied by an opening to all economic sectors. Thus, the office currently offers more than 100 qualifying training courses and has 171 initial training courses. Industry accounts for a large part of the offer (37%), followed by the tertiary sector (26%) and construction (18%).
Given the demand, the office has expanded its network of establishments. Thus, 11 institutes have been created, including a training center in automotive trades in Casablanca and the School of Training in Construction Trades in Settat.
For Larbi Bencheikh, CEO of OFPPT, this expansion is intended to be a response to the ever-increasing demand, which currently reaches an average of 2 to 3 applications per place, with a forecast of 500,000 training applications expected by the end of 2014.
25,000 young inmates trained since 2002
The office also deploys its services in penitentiary centers. The objective is to contribute to the professional and social integration of young inmates. Set up in 2002, the OFPPT has gone from 5 institutes to 48 currently. Since that date, the office has trained 25,000 inmates in all branches.
That said, not everything is rosy for the leading vocational training operator. Mr. Bencheikh recalled that professional licenses are slow to be integrated into the establishment's educational process simply because the operator has not yet obtained authorization in this regard. A constraint for the office's graduates who are unable to integrate higher education institutions internationally, while access remains restricted in Morocco. To date, only the construction sector has been able to develop professional licenses with local universities.
More work to be done for apprenticeship training
Another problem: apprenticeship training, which is still struggling to develop. In this respect, companies are the main culprits, often pointing to the inadequacy of the office's graduates. This system, which has proven successful in many countries, represents only 20% of the training provided, 57% of which is in industry.
Moreover, Mohamed Slassi, president of the Continuing Training Commission at CGEM, points out that such a mode of learning should be accompanied by compensation, since it involves costs that SMEs cannot afford.
The OFPPT also works for entrepreneurship and employability. The office has around sixty operational counters, whose main mission is to train, guide and support project leaders in the implementation of their projects. To date, these counters have helped to develop 6194 business plans. This has led to the creation of nearly 1,482 businesses and 7,275 jobs.
Even better, 70% of the entrepreneurs supported are graduates of the OFPPT. Since the launch of the post-creation support program for young entrepreneurs, things have improved significantly. The number of project leaders has increased from 1,941 in 2008 to 11,362 during the first 6 months of the current year. During this same first half-year, 1,482 businesses were created.
Brahim Habriche.
Lavieeco.com
Published on September 30, 2014.
Online since September 30, 2014.
