The Career Centers are taking the lead to ensure that youth are fully equipped to enter the job market and connect with potential recruiters, enabling them to thrive in Morocco’s workforce.

The University Cadi Ayyad Career Center organized a recruitment event with Swissport, the global leader in airport ground services and air cargo handling on March 22, 2018. Thirty-eight students and graduates participated to the event, where they connected with the private sector as well as applied the diverse soft skills and job search skills they gained through the Career Center workshops. Following interviews conducted with Swissport Human Resources Managers at the event, 30 USAID Career Center’s beneficiaries were recruited: 7 for internships and 23 for permanent positions.

The students’ success at the event started at Career Center with job interview preparation and CV clinics prior to the actual interviews. Following this recruitment campaign, two trainings were delivered at the University Career Center by the Swissport trainers and managers to university students who were recruited. These courses are part of a training cycle that will be delivered by both the company's executives and the Career Center staff.

“Career Center helped us throughout the recruitment day and offered us substantial training,” said Rania Seroualia, a student at Cadi Ayyad University, who participated in the recruitment campaign and was hired as a Passenger Service Agent.

M’hamed Benrazouk, also a student at Cadi Ayyad University, said he agreed.

“Thanks to the Career Center, I had the opportunity to apply to Swissport and get an internship in the Quality, Hygiene, Security and Environment Department," said Benrazouk. "The staff support was very helpful. After my internship, I will come back to the Career Center to complete my soft skills training."

These activities are part of a win-win partnership between Swissport and the Career Centers in Marrakech (including the University Career Center and the Vocational Career Center) to improve youth employability and meet the needs of the private sector in the region. In addition to the recruitment event, Vocational Career Center organized two guest speaker sessions with Swissport representatives to raise awareness about the importance of empowering women in the workforce and meet with women working in the cargo handling services industry including Station Manager, Passenger Services Supervisor, Ramp Services Agent, Course Line Computer Agent and Compliance Manager.

Additionally, the University Career Center Deputy Director Asmae Farah was solicited by Swissport to conduct three “Leadership” workshops for Swissport newly recruited staff at the Marrakech Airport.

By working with governmental and private-sector partners on specialized workforce development opportunities, the USAID Career Center activity supports Morocco's efforts to improve youth employability through job skills development. To date, the activity has reached over 175,000 youth and developed more than 250 partnerships with private sector organizations. Throughout the country, work readiness trainings were introduced into a few universities' curricula as well as into all of the Office for Vocational Training and Job Promotion’s (OFPPT) 360+ vocational training institutes. USAID continues to work with the Government of Morocco to assist with their expansion of the Career Center model to all 12 regions of the country.