In Morocco, 80 percent of the country’s unemployed fall between the ages of 15-34 years old.

Youth unemployment is not unique to Morocco. Worldwide, young people are two or three times more likely to be out of work than their parents. Morocco fits this pattern with an overall unemployment rate of 10 percent, with youth (15-29 years old) being twice as likely to be without a job. This cadre of young people, who make up approximately one third of Morocco’s total population of 35 million, represents a pool of untapped talent not contributing to economic productivity. Ironically, the more educated youth become, the more likely they are to be unemployed. Morocco is currently creating less than 50 percent of the new jobs required to keep up with the growing working age population: every year, the job market is gaining 240,000 new entrants each year while only 129,000 new jobs are being created. As a result, USAID and the Government of Morocco share youth employability as a top priority for national policy and economic growth.

USAID Response

USAID promotes greater economic inclusion for Moroccan youth by:

• PROVIDING NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS with career centers, where students and recent graduates of universities and vocational training schools can receive work readiness counseling and training, including online at www.careercenter.ma. (Career Center)
• CREATING NEW FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES at the seed and growth stages with Wise Venture Capital to secure necessary capital for growing a number of skilled, young, and innovative Moroccan entrepreneurial companies. (Middle East and North Africa Investment Initiative)
• PARTNERING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CREATE demand-driven workforce development programs, including Augmented and Virtual Reality, which brings cutting edge technology to vocational training. (Bridging the Skills Gap Through Virtual Reality)
• TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF AT-RISK YOURTH THROUGH neighborhood-based support networks that involve families and the larger neighborhood while also building linkages to community-based social service providers. (Favorable Opportunities to Reinforce the Self-Advancement for Today’s Youth)

RESULTS ACHIEVED

• 6 physical Career Centers have been opened in Tangier, Casablanca, and Marrakech. 9 more centers are planned through sustainable, self-funded partnerships.
• Over 200,000 youth have benefitted from Career Center services both online and in the six physical centers, twice the original target number of beneficiaries.
• Over 40,000 youth received work-readiness training.
• 300 private sector partnerships established to help youth in their transition from education to employment.
• Wise Venture Capital, an independent Moroccan investment management company, has leveraged $3.9 million in USAID funds to raise an additional $15 million in capital to support growing early stage businesses in Morocco, supporting entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for youth.