Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has said the North African country has reached nearly 81 percent of its goal in the Industrial Acceleration Plan (IAP) to offer new job opportunities through industry.
The ministry said that, between 2014 and 2018, industries created 405,496 jobs, 49 percent of which are held by women.
The automotive industry recorded the strongest job creation. The sector created 116,611 jobs in the time period, representing 28.8 percent of all new jobs in the time period.
The ministry said that the sector is still growing. The automotive sector is followed by textiles with 79,300 jobs created (19.6 percent), offshoring with 69,932 jobs (17 percent), and agribusiness with 63,198 jobs (15.6 percent).
The metallurgical and mechanical industry created 19,776 jobs or 5 percent, while the building materials industry created 11,302 jobs.
Despite the importance of the sector in Morocco, the aeronautics field created only 8,636 jobs.
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Morocco’s IAP set a target for the aeronautics sector to create 23,000 new jobs by 2020.
In October 2018, the industry ministry argued that the aeronautical industry in Morocco is a promising sector, emphasizing that it is “fast moving,” and counting the international companies that have built plants in Morocco.
In addition to listing the most impressive sectors in Morocco’s economy, the study, quoted by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), said that Morocco’s exports increased from MAD 161 billion in 2013 to MAD 240 billion in 2018, an increase of 50 percent in five years.
Integration of youths through vocational training, a must
“The strong positioning of the industrial sector as a lever for job creation and the professional integration of young people is now strongly supported by the deployment of Vocational Training, driven by King Mohammed VI,” added the ministry.
Throughout recent years, King Mohammed VI suggested that vocational training might be an important solution to reduce unemployment and integrate youth into the job market.
On Thursday, the King chaired a meeting at the Royal Palace of Rabat, in which Minister of Education Said Amzazi made a presentation about the government’s plans to offer vocational training hubs for youth.
Amzazi informed the King of a roadmap for the development of vocational training and the creation of “cities of professions and skills” in every region in Morocco.
The cities of professions will include multi-sectoral facilities where youth can receive training on several fields.
The Ministry of Industry said that the “roadmap, which restructures the offer of vocational training and equips the 12 regions of the kingdom with ‘Cities of Professions and Skills’ will meet a growing need for targeted profiles in the industrial sectors.”
