The Middle East and North Africa is home to the largest youth population in the world, while also recording the highest levels of youth unemployment.
This high unemployment level is mainly due to the mismatch between the needs of employers and the competencies of young job seekers, and the education system not preparing them enough for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs. EFE-Maroc provides youth with career orientation, offers them skills trainings and places its graduates in high-demand jobs.
We believe in the untapped talent of the thousands of unemployed youth in Morocco. We offer skills and hope to a generation who needs both to reshape its future.
“Investing in intangible human capital has risen to the top of the country’s priorities and hence forms the basis of any reform—the pillar of building the future. It is therefore necessary to remain constantly faithful to this spirit when designing and implementing public policies. It is the appropriate way of bringing relevant solutions to the problems faced by the population—by choosing the best approaches and the greatest ways to overcome any obstacle to global human development.”
Address of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, September 19, 2019
“ In 2019, we went above and beyond to reach even more job seekers and help them land their first job. I am thankful for the positive energies who joined forces to help change these lives: our team, trainers, donors, employers, partner institutions, and Board members. With an integrated, dynamic ecosystem, we will address youth employment at scale. ”
Jihane Lahbabi-Berrada, CEO, EFE-Maroc
Who Are We?
The Moroccan Foundation of Education For Employment, known as EFE-Maroc, is an association under Moroccan law founded in 2008.
Our mission is to address youth unemployment by bridging the gap between labor market needs and the existing hard and soft skills of young job seekers. EFE-Maroc offers demand-driven skills trainings delivered by certified trainers and covering technical, commercial, behavioral and linguistic competencies. We place our graduates in career-launching jobs in high-demand sectors such as: offshoring, automotive, aeronautics, ICT, agribusiness, tourism, retail, banking and insurance.
EFE-Maroc operates in Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Tetouan, Al Hoceima, Fes, Meknes, Marrakesh and Safi. Our network of 500+ certified trainers allows us to deliver trainings across the whole country.
Impact To Date
Performance in 2019
The EFE Network
Success story
Hiba is a 23-year-old woman from Casablanca. After completing a business degree, Hiba was enthusiastic and confident that she would get her first job after graduation. This enthusiasm turned to frustration after several unsuccessful job interviews, mainly due to the stress she hadn't managed to control. She then decided to take a number of internships in order to remain active and further develop her skills. In November 2019, Hiba found out about the programs offered by EFE-Maroc to young job seekers and decided to enrol. She began by attending a job search training "Finding a Job Is a Job" during which she acquired the tools and techniques necessary to conduct an effective job search. She then joined the "Retail sales" training. During this training, she learned the basics and techniques of sales and customer service. Two weeks after the training, Hiba was able to land a job as a sales administrator in a company specialized in importing and distributing of safety equipment and materials. “Thanks to this training, I was able to get a job but also gain confidence and become more serene about my future,” says Hiba.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
Two New Board Members Joined the EFE Mission
In March 2019, the General Assembly of EFE-Maroc unanimously approved the appointment of Naziha Belkeziz-Laraqui and Laila Slassi-Sennou as Board members for three-year terms. Naziha Belkeziz-Laraqui is an expert in governance and management. She is co-founder of Associés en Gouvernance Maroc. “I am honored to take part in this great adventure and to contribute to EFE's noble mission.” Laila Slassi-Sennou is a business lawyer and co-founder of the law firm Afrique Advisors. “Youth employment and the promotion of equal opportunities are the key to our country’s development. I am honored to join EFE, a great civil society initiative that has demonstrated its effectiveness and that has been shining through the noble values it defends.”
Dell Technologies, EFE, Bayti and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Renewed Their Partnership for the Second Consecutive Year
CHEMSI, the mobile digital learning laboratory, travelled for six weeks across the regions of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Fez-Meknes, Marrakech-Safi, and Casablanca-Settat, and impacted 2,500 young people through trainings in digital tools, job search skills, digital skills, and computer coding. These beginner, intermediate, and advanced level trainings targeted a wide range of Moroccan youth, from 7 to 35 years old, and were delivered at youth centers. “The digital revolution offers young people a tremendous opportunity to access knowledge and opportunities in one click, and we are proud of this strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, EFE, and BAYTI to strengthen the social and professional inclusion of young people,” says Ahmed Khalil, Managing Director of Dell Technologies North-West Africa.
Launch of the Project “Mawhibati: Skills & Jobs to Unlock Moroccan Youth Potential” in Partnership with Cartier Philanthropy
"Mawhibati : Skills and Jobs to Unlock Moroccan Youth Potential" is a two-year project funded by Cartier Philantropy which aims to support 432 young Moroccan job seekers through soft skills and technical retail and sales trainings leading to family-supporting jobs. “Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges of our time, since it has devastating consequences for society as a whole. Cartier Philanthropy is proud to support EFE in its effort to equip young Moroccans, and young women in particular, with relevant skills to succeed with meaningful employment opportunities and in life.” Pascale de La Frégonnière, Executive Director, Cartier Philanthropy
Conclusion of the Professional Retraining Program #JOB_IN_TECH
#JOB_IN_TECH is a professional reskilling program in computer coding delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce & the Green and Digital Economy; Caisse de Dépôts et Gestion (CDG); MEDZ; Morocco’s national employment agency (ANAPEC); and 3W Academy. This six-month program offered 30 job seekers the opportunity to gain the technical, linguistic, and soft skills necessary to land jobs as software developers with leading IT companies, such as Atos, Gapgemini, CGI, GFI, and Sofrecom.
“I joined Atos one and a half months after the end of the #JOB_IN_TECH training and it was a real relief and joy for me and my family. I finally have the chance to work in a field that suits me and to live from my passion.” Zineb
EFE and the Citi Foundation Strengthened Their Partnership for Youth Employment
EFE-Maroc and the Citi Foundation concluded their sixth year of partnership for youth employment as part of the program “Training for the Future: Employment and Awareness for Youth in the MENA Region.” This initiative is part of a regional cooperation between EFE and the Citi Foundation, which has thus far impacted more than 1,600 job seekers across Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. “EFE has great capacity to generate tangible and measurable results in terms of employability of young people and women. By 2020, more than 2,350 jobseekers will have benefited from this program funded by the Citi Foundation.” Taoufik Rabbaa, CEO of Citibank Maghreb.
Conclusion of the USAID Career Center Program
The USAID Career Center program was a five-year program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by FHI 360, EFE, IREX, and Golden Resources, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research to improve the employability of young Moroccans. The project implemented six Career Centers in universities and vocational training centers in Casablanca, Marrakech, and Tangier, strengthening the employability of more than 242,000 youth. In collaboration with the private sector, EFE led the creation of the "NAJAHI-Prêt Pour l'Emploi" curricula through an in-depth analysis of the needs for soft skills expressed by private sector employers in high-growth sectors. The curricula includes 24 in-person modules as well as 16 modules available on the program’s Virtual Career Center. Over the course of the project EFE delivered in-classroom work readiness trainings to nearly 20,000 youth. EFE also delivered Trainings of Trainers (ToTs) benefitting 1,297 educators from OFPPT, the Ministry of Tourism, IFMIA, and partner universities (Abelmalek Essaadi University, Hassan II University, and Caddi Ayyad University) to support the program’s long-term sustainability. Following the program’s success, the Minister of National Education, Mr. Saïd Amzazi, announced that the Career Center model will be scaled across Morocco.
EFE-Maroc and MEPI Cooperate to Benefit Safi Youth
After a successful collaboration in the Fez-Meknes region, EFE-Maroc and the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) signed a new partnership for greater youth employment in the city of Safi. The project entitled "ع-Amal : Bringing Hope Through Jobs for Moroccan Youth" aims to support 130 job seekers in their professional insertion through technical sales skills and soft skills trainings leading to career-launching jobs.
EFE and Boeing Continue Their Partnership
Boeing continues to support EFE’s mission through the project “Skilled for Success : Preparing Moroccan Youth for the 21st Century Workforce.” This project aims to support 120 young job seekers throughout Morocco through training in soft skills and job search techniques leading to a job. Roula Droubi, Regional Director of Boeing MENA in charge of government, industrial and community engagement, visited EFE-Maroc in January for the project’s launch and shared good moments with the participants of the first class in Casablanca.
Launch of the Project ''Training For the Future of Young Moroccan Population'' in Partnership with the Community of Madrid
EFE-Maroc launched a new project entitled “Training For the Future of Young Moroccan Populations” in partnership with the Community of Madrid, which aims to support more than 200 young people in their job search. These young job seekers will benefit from in-classroom and online trainings in soft skills and job search skills that will lead to a first job.
A word from Touria Jaouhar, committed trainer at EFE-Maroc
“My collaboration with EFE-Maroc has given me a sense of belonging that helps me to maintain the necessary motivation to always give the best to the beneficiaries. I am proud to contribute to this noble mission, all the more so as EFE-Maroc is a pioneer in assisting young people on their way to the job market, the impact of which is obvious and certain. Moreover, the collaboration with the Foundation is facilitated and made pleasant by the presence of an available and involved management team that watches over this mission with professionalism and meticulousness and that never ceases to challenge itself to give the best and adapt to the needs of the young beneficiaries. By being part of the EFE-Maroc team, I am aware that I myself have grown personally and professionally thanks to the experiences I have had in carrying out the mission, also benefiting from the Trainings of Trainers (ToT) and upgrading trainings organised by EFE-Maroc.”
