Mobile training centres for the rural population

Context

The Moroccan Government has been intensifying its work promoting employability and integration in rural areas as, despite the country’s sustained economic growth, a large part of the Moroccan population remains excluded from the labour market. The unemployment rate of around 10 per cent does not reflect the high proportion of those who are underemployed or unemployed, particularly among the rural population. Young people are particularly affected in these areas, especially women, who only have limited access to the labour market. Jobseekers often don’t have enough information, above all in terms of career choice, training opportunities, the recruitment process and how to start-up a business.

Objective

The introduction of mobile employment agencies has improved the employability of people living in rural and peri-urban areas of the pilot provinces.

Approach

The recruitment agency (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l’Emploi et des Compétences, ANAPEC) wants to expand the services offered to people in rural areas and has thus come up with and implemented the idea of mobile employment agencies. In doing so, it was supported by the project and collaborated with the Ministry of Labour and Professional Insertion (Ministère du Travail et de l'Insertion Professionnelle, MTIP).
The mobile agencies are active in four pilot provinces that represent Morocco’s rural and peri-urban areas and thus form a good basis for expanding the concept. 

Every mobile agency has its own energy system and a satellite connection. It has a reception and research area, an office for conducting interviews with employment consultants and a training area. The latter has various uses, including providing short-term training courses in relevant fields, developed together with companies from the pilot provinces. With the support of the project, the range of ANAPEC workshops for jobseekers has been adapted to the rural context. The project has also developed information products tailored to specific target groups, for example a database with video clips on careers with future prospects and an interactive application where people can find out about training opportunities in the region.

The training sessions offered by the mobile agencies cover the training needs specified previously in cooperation with companies in the region. The modules therefore teach technical expertise and also provide training in applying for jobs and developing social skills.

Results

The mobile employment agencies have been operating in four pilot provinces since November 2017 and have so far been able to reach more than 5,500 people and train more than 2,600 men and women. All in all, the project has enabled 95 per cent of those participating in short-term training courses to enter employment – this translates to 600 people. The employment situation of more than 940 people has improved, 42 per cent of whom are women. As a result of the short-term qualifications specifically tailored to women, the percentage of women among those receiving support is above average. They have received training in founding a cooperative or developing their social skills, for example.