Agriculture Sector: The New Star of the Job Market
19 October 2010
Read by 1684 persons
With the Green Morocco Plan, agriculture needs new profiles to modernize.
About fifty schools train engineers and senior technicians.
A Bac+5 qualification level is the best way to get a job in research and development, consulting, and management in large groups.
The agricultural and rural sector plays an important economic role in Morocco. It employs more than 4 million rural people and creates around 100,000 jobs in the agri-food industry. In terms of added value, it contributes to the formation of GDP by 14% to 25% depending on climatic conditions.
The global context marked by food security, climate change, rising prices of agricultural products, producer responsibility, and the fight against poverty has required Morocco to review its agricultural strategy towards upgrading and modernizing the sector. It is within this perspective that the new Green Morocco Plan was developed, so that agriculture becomes one of the main drivers of growth of the national economy in the next 15 years. This with significant benefits in terms of GDP growth, job creation, exports, and poverty reduction.
But the sector will face a major challenge: young and qualified human resources. Today, the average age of farmers is 52, which means that in the coming years a large number of them will reach retirement age. In addition to this, the sector has undergone many technological changes and is therefore in need of new profiles that did not exist (in services, energy, environment, etc.). As a result, job opportunities will considerably increase in the sector. According to Mohammed Sadiki, director of IAV, "the Green Morocco Plan, relying on the intensive use of agro-technologies and close supervision, requires new skills, managers and technicians who can support stakeholders at the regional level".
Therefore, the agricultural sector needs to train more young people to ensure the takeover and development of farms and businesses.
Faced with these challenges, the education system is trying its best to respond. The vocational training and technical education system consists of around fifty establishments including specialized agricultural technician institutes training specialized technicians (Bac + 2 years of training), agricultural technical institutes training technicians (Bac + 2 years of training), agricultural qualification centers, training qualified workers as well as agricultural high schools. Not to mention higher engineering training institutes such as the National School of Agriculture of Meknès (ENA) or the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute of Rabat (IAV).
For many of them, these training structures face difficulties, namely the weakness or lack of financial resources, the lack of preparation for training internships, the insufficient practical application modules...
Each agricultural sector offers a range of varied jobs
In other words, the coming years should see an upgrading of the expertise of companies specializing in agriculture/agri-food. The profiles are increasingly qualified (engineers in rural engineering, agronomy, hydrology, agro-economics, energy management, water) and diversified (positions of financial managers, marketing, communication, agricultural farm managers).
Already today, the sector offers a range of varied jobs, whether in production, quality monitoring or sales. "Even marketing is entering agriculture, because due to competition, the environment requires better market positioning, the development of new partnerships but also new products", explains Fayçal Mais, commercial director of Timac Agro Maroc.
Consulting is also important. Nowadays, agricultural consultants are increasingly sought after by farmers to better support them in the development of their farms in various areas, such as the choice and maintenance of agricultural machinery, irrigation techniques, seed selection and production traceability. In all cases, they must be at the forefront of agricultural information, both technical and regulatory.
"All profiles involved in hydro-agricultural development, engineering, production techniques, management, agri-food industry, marketing, quality and hygiene and food safety are in demand", notes the director of IAV.
As for the agri-food industry, its vitality mainly benefits Bac+2 graduates, mainly in commerce-marketing and manufacturing. Faced with consumers concerned about food safety and their health, companies are also looking for quality and nutrition specialists.
However, the Bac +5 qualification level remains the best way to join large groups, in research and development, consulting and management. But this population remains difficult to find on the job market. "Candidates exist, but few have a good level or proven experience. In addition, companies boast of paying engineers high prices while the market mainly needs specialized technicians who adapt in the field", complains an entrepreneur in the cereal production sector.
The same opinion is shared by another entrepreneur from an SME who points out that "often, graduates from higher institutes have high salary expectations, especially when they have more than one year of experience in the field". And to specify that an "SME cannot afford to pay a candidate 15,000 DH especially if he does not have more than three years of experience".
Finally, many companies also emphasize the importance of mastering local or foreign languages, particularly French and English for fruit and vegetable exporting companies, as well as communication techniques. But this is true for all professions.
Published October 11, 2010
Posted online October 19, 2010
Lavieeco.com
About fifty schools train engineers and senior technicians.
A Bac+5 qualification level is the best way to get a job in research and development, consulting, and management in large groups.
The agricultural and rural sector plays an important economic role in Morocco. It employs more than 4 million rural people and creates around 100,000 jobs in the agri-food industry. In terms of added value, it contributes to the formation of GDP by 14% to 25% depending on climatic conditions.
The global context marked by food security, climate change, rising prices of agricultural products, producer responsibility, and the fight against poverty has required Morocco to review its agricultural strategy towards upgrading and modernizing the sector. It is within this perspective that the new Green Morocco Plan was developed, so that agriculture becomes one of the main drivers of growth of the national economy in the next 15 years. This with significant benefits in terms of GDP growth, job creation, exports, and poverty reduction.
But the sector will face a major challenge: young and qualified human resources. Today, the average age of farmers is 52, which means that in the coming years a large number of them will reach retirement age. In addition to this, the sector has undergone many technological changes and is therefore in need of new profiles that did not exist (in services, energy, environment, etc.). As a result, job opportunities will considerably increase in the sector. According to Mohammed Sadiki, director of IAV, "the Green Morocco Plan, relying on the intensive use of agro-technologies and close supervision, requires new skills, managers and technicians who can support stakeholders at the regional level".
Therefore, the agricultural sector needs to train more young people to ensure the takeover and development of farms and businesses.
Faced with these challenges, the education system is trying its best to respond. The vocational training and technical education system consists of around fifty establishments including specialized agricultural technician institutes training specialized technicians (Bac + 2 years of training), agricultural technical institutes training technicians (Bac + 2 years of training), agricultural qualification centers, training qualified workers as well as agricultural high schools. Not to mention higher engineering training institutes such as the National School of Agriculture of Meknès (ENA) or the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute of Rabat (IAV).
For many of them, these training structures face difficulties, namely the weakness or lack of financial resources, the lack of preparation for training internships, the insufficient practical application modules...
Each agricultural sector offers a range of varied jobs
In other words, the coming years should see an upgrading of the expertise of companies specializing in agriculture/agri-food. The profiles are increasingly qualified (engineers in rural engineering, agronomy, hydrology, agro-economics, energy management, water) and diversified (positions of financial managers, marketing, communication, agricultural farm managers).
Already today, the sector offers a range of varied jobs, whether in production, quality monitoring or sales. "Even marketing is entering agriculture, because due to competition, the environment requires better market positioning, the development of new partnerships but also new products", explains Fayçal Mais, commercial director of Timac Agro Maroc.
Consulting is also important. Nowadays, agricultural consultants are increasingly sought after by farmers to better support them in the development of their farms in various areas, such as the choice and maintenance of agricultural machinery, irrigation techniques, seed selection and production traceability. In all cases, they must be at the forefront of agricultural information, both technical and regulatory.
"All profiles involved in hydro-agricultural development, engineering, production techniques, management, agri-food industry, marketing, quality and hygiene and food safety are in demand", notes the director of IAV.
As for the agri-food industry, its vitality mainly benefits Bac+2 graduates, mainly in commerce-marketing and manufacturing. Faced with consumers concerned about food safety and their health, companies are also looking for quality and nutrition specialists.
However, the Bac +5 qualification level remains the best way to join large groups, in research and development, consulting and management. But this population remains difficult to find on the job market. "Candidates exist, but few have a good level or proven experience. In addition, companies boast of paying engineers high prices while the market mainly needs specialized technicians who adapt in the field", complains an entrepreneur in the cereal production sector.
The same opinion is shared by another entrepreneur from an SME who points out that "often, graduates from higher institutes have high salary expectations, especially when they have more than one year of experience in the field". And to specify that an "SME cannot afford to pay a candidate 15,000 DH especially if he does not have more than three years of experience".
Finally, many companies also emphasize the importance of mastering local or foreign languages, particularly French and English for fruit and vegetable exporting companies, as well as communication techniques. But this is true for all professions.
Published October 11, 2010
Posted online October 19, 2010
Lavieeco.com
