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Join on Telegram Rabat – The Moroccan government is taking a bold step to address rural unemployment, allocating MAD 1 billion ($97 million) as part of its upcoming 2025 employment strategy.
Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, announced the initiative on Monday while taking part in a parliamentary session. According to the minister, the program’s main focus will be to create tailored opportunities for young people in rural areas and provide them with the necessary tools to thrive economically.
In particular, Sekkouri outlined the pressing need for targeted interventions to support rural youth. Responding to an inquiry about economic and social integration strategies in these areas, he announced a comprehensive program focused on active labor initiatives. The plan is set to roll out next year, he pledged.
The minister noted that vocational training, which he described as “a cornerstone for rural economic inclusion,” is key to this strategy.
There are 67 operational training centers in rural Morocco, with 55 specializing in agriculture and 12 overseen by the Office of Vocational Training and Labor Promotion (OFPPT), Sekkouri explained.
These centers provide skills-based education in areas crucial to the local economy, such as livestock management, crop production, agricultural engineering, and machinery repair.
Read Also: New Government Strategy Seeks to Address Youth Unemployment, Strengthen Morocco’s Job Market
In addition to fixed facilities, there are plans to establish 22 mobile training units in remote areas to benefit around 3,000 participants annually, the minister announced.
Sekkouri also noted the importance of accessibility, citing 139 rural dormitories that house nearly 17,000 trainees. This infrastructure aims to ensure that geographic barriers do not hinder participation in vital training programs.
A standout feature of the strategy is the Career Development Program, which plans to expand its reach fivefold, from 20,000 to 100,000 beneficiaries by 2025.
According to Sekkouri, the program will prioritize those without formal qualifications, a demographic that overwhelmingly resides in rural areas. The goal will be to equip them with the skills needed to integrate into the workforce effectively, he explained.
The minister mentioned additional initiatives designed to further support employment in rural Morocco, promising details in the coming months as part of the government’s broader employment framework. This holistic approach signals a clear commitment to bridging the rural-urban employment gap and fostering sustainable development in underserved communities.
Despite renewed initiatives, including this newly discussed employment strategy, Morocco is still lagging behind in addressing its unemployment crisis. Recent data from the national census show that the unemployment rate has risen to 21.3%, compared to 16.2% in 2014.
Women face the highest rates of joblessness at 25.9%, while men stand at 20.1%. Rural and urban areas are similarly affected, with unemployment rates of 21.4% and 21.2%, respectively.
These numbers point to deeper structural issues in the labor market, including mismatches between job opportunities and available skills, limited economic diversification, and enduring barriers to women’s participation.
Although job-oriented initiatives mark a step forward, addressing these entrenched challenges requires broader reforms to create sustainable pathways for employment and economic growth.
