We face a shortage of resources in high-value-added jobs
1 April 2008
Read by 3713 persons
Jamal Aghmani, Minister of Employment and Vocational Training:
What assessment can you give of employment and training in Morocco?
The announced unemployment figures are encouraging. We have dropped below the 10% unemployment rate. Nevertheless, we are facing a shortage of resources in high-value-added jobs, mainly due to a lack of vocational training and continuing education in specialized skills.
What action plan have you put in place to balance supply and demand?
We started by defining the urgent needs and the promising sectors where we lacked resources. These studies led to a vast Emergency Plan, which includes the Azur Plan for tourism and hospitality, the Emergence Plan for industry, and the Green Morocco Plan for agriculture and agri-food.
How do these plans work together?
These plans are based on three pillars. First pillar: the creation of institutes to qualify our young people and allow those already in the workforce to benefit from upgrading through continuing education in the aeronautics sector (Casablanca), the automotive sector (Casablanca and Tangier), the fashion and textile sector, and the agri-food sector (Meknes). Finally, 10 training centers have opened for training in agriculture, crafts, and maritime professions. In all these sectors, we have trained over 300 trainers.
Second pillar: financial support for disadvantaged young people in accredited public and private schools. This concerns 16,000 young people, with amounts of 4,000 Dhs per young person per year. Third pillar: supporting multinational companies that are setting up in Morocco by granting them training budgets that will be used according to their needs to meet market demand. The multinational will be free to choose its training body. This represents 2.5 billion Dh in the automotive, aeronautics, offshoring, and electronics sectors. Let's take the example of Renault-Nissan in Tangier. A local training center, which cost 80 million Dh, will create 6,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs (equipment suppliers).
How many jobs should this Emergency Plan create?
Prospective studies up to 2012 predict the creation of 63,000 jobs in agriculture, 67,000 jobs in the restaurant and tourism sectors, 100,000 jobs through ANAPEC's efforts in offshoring and large-scale distribution, and 17,000 jobs in aeronautics.
Do you think the job market will be affected by the recession?
It is clear that we will not be spared, but the government has anticipated this crisis by releasing 135 billion Dh for the 2009 budget in order to mitigate the negative effects and encourage domestic demand. On the other hand, social dialogue, as well as labor law, will be strengthened to protect jobs. Finally, unemployment benefits (IPE) are under consideration, and we plan to strengthen the social and medical coverage of workers (AMO).
Published on December 1, 2008
Posted online on December 5, 2008
aufaitmaroc.com
What assessment can you give of employment and training in Morocco?
The announced unemployment figures are encouraging. We have dropped below the 10% unemployment rate. Nevertheless, we are facing a shortage of resources in high-value-added jobs, mainly due to a lack of vocational training and continuing education in specialized skills.
What action plan have you put in place to balance supply and demand?
We started by defining the urgent needs and the promising sectors where we lacked resources. These studies led to a vast Emergency Plan, which includes the Azur Plan for tourism and hospitality, the Emergence Plan for industry, and the Green Morocco Plan for agriculture and agri-food.
How do these plans work together?
These plans are based on three pillars. First pillar: the creation of institutes to qualify our young people and allow those already in the workforce to benefit from upgrading through continuing education in the aeronautics sector (Casablanca), the automotive sector (Casablanca and Tangier), the fashion and textile sector, and the agri-food sector (Meknes). Finally, 10 training centers have opened for training in agriculture, crafts, and maritime professions. In all these sectors, we have trained over 300 trainers.
Second pillar: financial support for disadvantaged young people in accredited public and private schools. This concerns 16,000 young people, with amounts of 4,000 Dhs per young person per year. Third pillar: supporting multinational companies that are setting up in Morocco by granting them training budgets that will be used according to their needs to meet market demand. The multinational will be free to choose its training body. This represents 2.5 billion Dh in the automotive, aeronautics, offshoring, and electronics sectors. Let's take the example of Renault-Nissan in Tangier. A local training center, which cost 80 million Dh, will create 6,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs (equipment suppliers).
How many jobs should this Emergency Plan create?
Prospective studies up to 2012 predict the creation of 63,000 jobs in agriculture, 67,000 jobs in the restaurant and tourism sectors, 100,000 jobs through ANAPEC's efforts in offshoring and large-scale distribution, and 17,000 jobs in aeronautics.
Do you think the job market will be affected by the recession?
It is clear that we will not be spared, but the government has anticipated this crisis by releasing 135 billion Dh for the 2009 budget in order to mitigate the negative effects and encourage domestic demand. On the other hand, social dialogue, as well as labor law, will be strengthened to protect jobs. Finally, unemployment benefits (IPE) are under consideration, and we plan to strengthen the social and medical coverage of workers (AMO).
Published on December 1, 2008
Posted online on December 5, 2008
aufaitmaroc.com
