Skills shortage fails to keep pace with recent economic boom
28 July 2008
Read by 1571 persons
Skills shortage fails to keep pace with recent economic boom. The Renault Nissan project alone will generate 50,000 jobs. Wage pressure is affecting competitiveness.
The announcement by the French carmaker Renault to build a production unit in the Tanger industrial zone has raised hopes, but also worried some local manufacturers. "The Renault Nissan project risks attracting human resources from surrounding businesses," explain the managers of the Tanger Industrial Zone Association (AZIT).
The French group will also need a dynamic economic fabric around it. Heavy industry, mechanical and plastics industries are all activities that will emerge in the wake of this structuring industrial complex. And this is without counting the services and ancillary activities that such projects, which are greedy for human resources, will inevitably induce. The need for manpower will therefore be considerable, while the region suffers, more than others, from a shortage of human resources.
Indeed, the Renault project should generate 6,000 permanent direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs. But already, both in quantity and quality, they are becoming scarce in a region that has experienced a real economic take-off in recent years. Officials estimate that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 unskilled jobs and 4,000 to 5,000 unfilled management positions throughout the region.
A salary of 18,000 DH for a machine operator!
"The problem in the North is that employment statistics do not match reality," explains a businessman from the region. According to him, the region's unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the country, is not explained. "You just have to go to the surrounding villages to find unemployed people while companies are struggling to find employees," remarks a boss who wonders if all these people are included in the statistics. As for the rest of the country, "initial training is inadequate for the needs of manufacturers," explain entrepreneurs. Thus, an international company had to consult 700 CVs to find five profiles corresponding to its needs.
So we will have to get to work to train people. The job market is likely to explode in the next two to three years, that is, as soon as the Renault Nissan plant is operational. For the moment, companies are increasingly resorting to workers from all over the country. Thus, in the Volkswagen plant in the Tanger region, only 25% of the workforce is from Tanger. "This is a major problem.
And given the needs, it could be that companies will have to "import" foreign workers!," predicts a boss. Remarks that are surprising, but seem to reflect the reality on the ground. Shortage of workers obliges! An example: a company was looking for a machine operator. For a specialized technician position, it had to constantly increase its salary offers. Finally, the job was filled at 18,000 DH. Enough to make more than one manager in the country dream!
"In the region, the nature of the market has caused wage inflation," analyzes industrialist Adil Raïs. Too much demand, not enough supply, the market regulating itself, salaries are exploding. "This could work against Morocco. It is losing its competitiveness compared to destinations such as Tunisia and Romania," analyzes the industrialist. It is rightly that other experts announce that the workforce will continue to flow from the rest of the country, and, with it, other needs to be met will appear, particularly in housing.
Noredine El Abbassi
Published on July 25, 2008
Online since July 28, 2008
lavieeco.com
The announcement by the French carmaker Renault to build a production unit in the Tanger industrial zone has raised hopes, but also worried some local manufacturers. "The Renault Nissan project risks attracting human resources from surrounding businesses," explain the managers of the Tanger Industrial Zone Association (AZIT).
The French group will also need a dynamic economic fabric around it. Heavy industry, mechanical and plastics industries are all activities that will emerge in the wake of this structuring industrial complex. And this is without counting the services and ancillary activities that such projects, which are greedy for human resources, will inevitably induce. The need for manpower will therefore be considerable, while the region suffers, more than others, from a shortage of human resources.
Indeed, the Renault project should generate 6,000 permanent direct jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs. But already, both in quantity and quality, they are becoming scarce in a region that has experienced a real economic take-off in recent years. Officials estimate that there are between 20,000 and 25,000 unskilled jobs and 4,000 to 5,000 unfilled management positions throughout the region.
A salary of 18,000 DH for a machine operator!
"The problem in the North is that employment statistics do not match reality," explains a businessman from the region. According to him, the region's unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the country, is not explained. "You just have to go to the surrounding villages to find unemployed people while companies are struggling to find employees," remarks a boss who wonders if all these people are included in the statistics. As for the rest of the country, "initial training is inadequate for the needs of manufacturers," explain entrepreneurs. Thus, an international company had to consult 700 CVs to find five profiles corresponding to its needs.
So we will have to get to work to train people. The job market is likely to explode in the next two to three years, that is, as soon as the Renault Nissan plant is operational. For the moment, companies are increasingly resorting to workers from all over the country. Thus, in the Volkswagen plant in the Tanger region, only 25% of the workforce is from Tanger. "This is a major problem.
And given the needs, it could be that companies will have to "import" foreign workers!," predicts a boss. Remarks that are surprising, but seem to reflect the reality on the ground. Shortage of workers obliges! An example: a company was looking for a machine operator. For a specialized technician position, it had to constantly increase its salary offers. Finally, the job was filled at 18,000 DH. Enough to make more than one manager in the country dream!
"In the region, the nature of the market has caused wage inflation," analyzes industrialist Adil Raïs. Too much demand, not enough supply, the market regulating itself, salaries are exploding. "This could work against Morocco. It is losing its competitiveness compared to destinations such as Tunisia and Romania," analyzes the industrialist. It is rightly that other experts announce that the workforce will continue to flow from the rest of the country, and, with it, other needs to be met will appear, particularly in housing.
Noredine El Abbassi
Published on July 25, 2008
Online since July 28, 2008
lavieeco.com
