Casablanca – Technopark Casablanca hosted on Thursday the Dutch Development Impact Event and the closeout ceremony of the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE).
The event marked four years of work to expand decent employment opportunities for young people in Morocco, bringing together partners to reflect on what has worked or proved challenging over the past four years, as well as what to carry forward into the future.
The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded CFYE as part of its international development cooperation. The program launched in Morocco in 2022 and has since been focusing on young people aged 18 to 35.
Speaking to Morocco World News (MWN) during the event, Joost Verwilghen, Team Lead of CFYE, reflected on the program’s work in Morocco, its focus on inclusion, and the future of the initiatives it supported.
Verwilghen pointed to inclusion as one of the program’s main challenges, particularly when it came to creating opportunities for young women.
“Talking about inclusion is easy, but actually getting it done requires actions,” he explained.
Four years of CFYE in Morocco
CFYE aimed to create, match, and improve decent employment opportunities through private-sector solutions. Rather than focusing only on training, it worked directly with businesses and employment organizations.
Inclusion, sustainability and market-driven solutions remained central to the program. The approach combined funding with technical assistance to help partners test and develop employment models based on real market needs.
Morocco was one of several countries where CFYE operated. Its wider portfolio included Egypt, Jordan, Senegal, Sudan and Nigeria, among others.
The program has so far supported 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and partner organizations in Morocco across sectors including digital services, agriculture, industry, and the green economy.
CFYE has meanwhile generated 3,658 youth employment outcomes in Morocco over the past four years, representing 70% of the program’s initial target.
Women accounted for 1,768 of those jobs, or 48% of the total. The program has so far invested a total of €8.3 million in Morocco, including €2.7 million in CFYE co-funding.
Beyond the CFYE closeout
The event also looked beyond the end of the CFYE program, thus serving as a broader platform for Dutch-supported private-sector initiatives in Morocco.
Partners from CFYE, Orange Corners and the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) joined the discussions.
Together, the initiatives reflect different parts of the same economic development ecosystem. They support entrepreneurship, business growth, trade and employment.
Orange Corners supports young entrepreneurs and strengthens entrepreneurial ecosystems. CBI helps SMEs become more competitive and access international markets.
The event therefore also opened a wider conversation around the future of Dutch-Moroccan economic cooperation.
During her opening remarks, Anita Conijn, Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Morocco, stressed the importance of understanding real market needs.
She also pointed to CFYE’s direct engagement with businesses as one of its strengths. The approach allowed the program to connect young people with employers and emerging sectors.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Conijn described CFYE as part of a wider ecosystem supporting young people, job creation and new industries.
She identified agriculture, renewable energy and water as important areas of cooperation between Morocco and the Netherlands. She also pointed to the role of new technologies in future cooperation.
“Those new technologies and new sectors are coming up, and we would like to also take part in our cooperation with Morocco,” she said.
From market needs to youth voices
The event also brought employers and young people into the same conversation.
The first panel focused on market realities and what works in practice. Representatives from AnMOON, Ecodome, CNEXIA, and CFYE discussed employment needs and challenges.
A second session placed young people at the center of the discussion. Participants shared their experiences and perspectives on building careers.
Speakers stressed the importance of networking, flexibility, and courage when entering the workforce. They also encouraged young people to step beyond familiar environments and build new connections.
The discussion also addressed employers and organizations. Speakers called for more opportunities for young people, including those seeking their first professional experience.
They stressed that young people already bring skills to the workplace. Employers can help them develop those skills by giving them room to learn, make mistakes and grow.
The event’s core message revolved around the need to listen to young people and give them space to adapt.
It also witnessed new partnerships, with CBI signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jadara Foundation and another with ALX and Greeks Institute.
With CFYE’s Morocco chapter having come to an end, the event focused on carrying its lessons forward. It brought together businesses, development organizations and young people around the broader question of inclusive economic growth.
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