Rabat – The Moroccan government has announced a major expansion of its national employment strategy, allocating an additional MAD 15 billion ($1.65 billion) to accelerate job creation and improve access to work for young people under its Employment Roadmap 2030.
Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, outlined the new funding in a written response to the House of Councilors. The initiative forms part of the government’s broader commitment to create at least one million net jobs during the 2021–2026 period, with a particular focus on young people who are neither employed, in education, nor receiving vocational training.
A key feature of the roadmap is the expansion of employment programs to include non-graduate youth, who have traditionally had more limited access to active labor market initiatives. The government also plans to strengthen the role of the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) by expanding job placement services and improving career support.
The strategy includes measures aimed at increasing women’s participation in the labor market by addressing practical barriers such as transportation, public lighting, and childcare availability. Other priorities include reducing school dropout rates, expanding “Second Chance Schools” for early school leavers, and increasing access to vocational training.
To support employment growth, the government intends to leverage several national development initiatives, including the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, the Generation Green agricultural strategy, and expanded childcare services, alongside measures to improve worker mobility.
A central pillar of the roadmap is a more localized approach to employment policy. Regional labor market assessments will be conducted to identify sectors with the greatest job creation potential, allowing employment programs to be tailored to local economic conditions.
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The government also plans to establish dedicated employment and entrepreneurship centers, sign partnership agreements with regional authorities, and create governance bodies bringing together public institutions and local stakeholders. Regional councils will contribute funding for programs supporting vulnerable job seekers, self-employment, cooperatives, income-generating projects, and career guidance services.
As part of the reform, ANAPEC has raised its ambitions under its 2022–2026 strategic plan. The agency aims to help 800,000 people secure employment, improve the employability of 500,000 beneficiaries, support 60,000 entrepreneurs, and assist 33,000 very small businesses.
Several employment programs developed with international partners have already been launched in four regions and are expected to be expanded nationwide. These initiatives are designed to strengthen regional labor market ecosystems, encourage entrepreneurship, and improve local employment governance.
Sekkouri also provided an update on ongoing labor market reforms, including legislation to expand the “Idmaj” employment integration program to non-graduates, reforms to the “Taehil” vocational training scheme, and the development of a new unified hiring incentive.
Meanwhile, ANAPEC is implementing eight modernization projects, including the launch of five pilot digital employment agencies, the expansion of its regional network, the modernization of its public services, and the introduction of a new performance management model.
A pilot network of career guidance centers, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Office of Vocational Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT), is also nearing completion.
