Morocco
The European Training Foundation (ETF) cooperates with and complements the work of the European Commission and the European External Action Service in supporting Morocco, including providing assistance to the Delegation of the European Union to Morocco.
Morocco is actively involved in the Torino Process whose sixth edition was launched in Rabat in March 2023. This participatory analysis of education and training systems and policies contributes to the country’s policy development and to the programming cycle of the European Union and other donors in terms of skills and human capital development.
Several Moroccan vocational centres have joined the ETF Network for Excellence. Morocco is also a member of the ETF Quality Assurance Forum.
The ETF supports the EU Delegation in implementing the PIAFE programme (Programme intégré d’appui à la formation et à l’éducation), providing expertise in the area of qualifications – to make qualifications more relevant, readable and understandable for Moroccan employers and citizens and easier to compare across Europe, Africa and beyond to support international mobility and labour migration. Further steps: implement the National Qualifications Framework, and link it to the African Continental Qualifications Framework and the European Qualifications Framework to support lifelong learning.
In addition, the ETF provides policy advice on the skills dimension of the migration policy by supporting the European Commission and the EU Delegation in implementing the next THAMM programme (Towards a Holistic Approach to Labour Migration Governance and Labour Mobility in North Africa) and Talent Partnerships.
Read our 2025 update on Key policy developments in education, training and employment (ETF, 2025). For a quick overview, see below.
2025 developments at a glance
🏛️ Economic landscape: Morocco continues to position itself as a strategic bridge between Europe and Africa, supported by its advanced partnership with the European Union and a growing role in regional economic integration. Economic growth reached 3.4% in 2023 despite inflationary pressures and climate-related challenges, while remittances remained an important source of income. At the same time, persistent regional disparities and labour market inequalities continue to affect inclusive development.
🎓 Education strategy and reform: The implementation of the Education Sector Vision 2015–2030, the Education Reform Plan 2022–2026 and the broader New Development Model continues to drive education reform. Major priorities include improving quality, reducing school dropout, expanding preschool participation and strengthening learning outcomes. The Pioneer Schools (Écoles de Riyadah) initiative has emerged as a flagship reform to improve foundational learning through targeted support in mathematics, Arabic and French.
🏫 Vocational education and training (VET): The National Strategy for Vocational Training 2021 and the VET roadmap continue to modernise vocational education and strengthen its responsiveness to labour market needs. The nationwide rollout of the Cities of Trades and Skills (Cités des Métiers et des Compétences) remains one of Morocco’s most ambitious reforms, providing innovative regional training hubs developed in partnership with employers and local authorities. The network continues to expand across all regions of the country.
✅ Qualifications and recognition: Morocco continues implementing its National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which aims to support lifelong learning, improve qualification transparency and facilitate mobility. Progress on the validation of prior learning is continuing, particularly in craftsmanship and vocational occupations, allowing skills acquired through work experience to gain formal recognition.
🛠️ Work-based learning (WBL): Work-based vocational training, apprenticeships and enterprise placements remain key components of Morocco’s skills development strategy. National policies continue to strengthen partnerships between training providers and employers, although apprenticeship participation remains below policy ambitions and further expansion is needed to improve labour market relevance and employability.
💼 Labour market challenges: Employment outcomes remain a significant policy concern. Employment rates are relatively low, particularly for women and young people, while unemployment continues to be high among youth and graduates. In response, the government launched the Employment Roadmap 2025–2027, backed by significant public investment and targeting job creation, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship expansion, support to SMEs and improved integration between skills supply and labour demand.
👦 👧 Youth in focus: Morocco continues to face high levels of youth disengagement. More than 30% of young people aged 15–29 are not in employment, education or training (NEET), with young women disproportionately affected. Improving guidance, employability, entrepreneurship and school-to-work transitions remains a central policy priority.
💻 Digital skills development: The Digital Morocco 2030 strategy places digital transformation at the centre of socio-economic development. Priorities include strengthening digital literacy, expanding ICT training, modernising educational infrastructure and developing a digitally skilled workforce through dedicated programmes, coding initiatives and partnerships with higher education and vocational training institutions.
🌿 Green skills development: Morocco continues integrating green skills into education and training policies through the Generation Green 2020–2030 strategy and broader climate commitments. Specialised institutions such as the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Training Institutes (IFMEREE) are supporting skills development in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other green occupations essential for the country’s green transition.
Priorities for 2026
👉 Implement the Employment Roadmap 2025–2027, strengthening links between skills development, job creation and labour market inclusion.
👉 Strengthen labour market intelligence, skills anticipation mechanisms and the role of labour market observatories to support evidence-based policymaking.
👉 Increase the quality, attractiveness and labour market relevance of vocational education and training, including through stronger employer engagement and expanded work-based learning.
👉 Advance implementation of the National Qualifications Framework and validation of prior learning to support lifelong learning and labour mobility.
👉 Accelerate digital and green skills development to support economic transformation, innovation and sustainable growth.