On January 18^th, USAID Career Center organized an international conference in Casablanca that brought together over 100 representatives from over 60 companies to engage with experienced HR Managers from the U.S, discuss innovative HR strategies and continue to strengthen their relationships with the Career Center.

Representatives from the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research; the U.S. Consul General in Morocco, the Ministry of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy; and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Morocco; opened the event and emphasized the need for sustained private sector engagement to address the challenge of youth employability.

Three plenary sessions were held by the guest speakers, who included: Ms. Dena Singleton, Human Resources Manager of Apptio, a software company in Seattle; Mr. Robert Garcia, Vice-President of the Society for Human Resource Management; and Mr. Kimo Kippen, Vice President Human Resources, Hilton Worldwide. These sessions addressed the theme “Human Resources and 21^st century challenges: new trends and international best practices.” These discussions continued during three thematic workshops, which allowed participants to interact with stakeholders and gain knowledge in specific areas, including the role of social networks in HR, the skills of the HR professional of tomorrow, and the role Career Center can play in supporting businesses in their HR strategy.

Feedback from participants was highly positive. Mr. Adil Chergui, Director of Aluminum Morocco (Tangier), said: "At this conference, the quality of the speakers was exceptional. They knew how to approach the subject of human resources while taking into account changing practices as well as cultural diversity and digitization. They made us live their experiences and motivated all participants." Sanae Griguer, HR Director of Swissport Morocco (Casablanca), commented: "The speakers were able to present things in a simple and very authentic way. We benefited from a real sharing of knowledge and know-how. These interventions allowed me to see that even human resources professionals from countries like the United States have to face the same challenges as us and that we are not alone. I learned a lot today.” Participants expressed strong interest in continuing to participate in events that promote exchange between actors in the Moroccan labor market and to use the services of Career Center to connect with youth and educational institutions.

Recipient receives award at Career Center Award Ceremony during Employers Conference in Casablanca on January 18, 2018

USAID Career Center for USAID/Morocco

The day ended with the presentation of the Career Center Awards, which provided the opportunity for Career Center Directors to congratulate the companies that have forged strong partnerships with Career Center. This successful event provided a unique and beneficial professional development opportunity for the Career Center’s private partners, and allowed the Career Center to build and strengthen private partnerships to continue to expand opportunities for youth.