The MasterCard Foundation and Education For Employment celebrate success of the Al Morad Project in Morocco

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO (May 18, 2016) – On the evening of May 19th, The MasterCard Foundation and Education For Employment Morocco (EFE-Maroc) will celebrate the completion of the Al Morad project, which has reached nearly 15,000 underserved youth, including more than 8,000 young women since its launch in 2011. The central goal of Al Morad is to improve youth employability in Morocco, while also strengthening ties between the public and private sectors.

At the individual level, the Al Morad project provided job opportunities for youth through access to high-quality, market-driven skills training. Nearly 2,750 youth learned soft and professional skills critical for success in the workplace. In addition, 12,250 students learned important job search skills through the Finding a Job is a Job (FJIJ) program.

Furthermore, the project improved the ability of 34 educational institutions (local universities and youth centers) to increase the employability of their youth population at the institutional level. EFE-Maroc also focused on partnerships with the private sector, as key to driving the employment of skilled youth. These efforts contributed to the development of critical partnerships with companies and associations.

“With an ever growing dynamic youth population, bridging the gap between youth, employers and educators in Morocco is of crucial importance,” said Ibrahim Slaoui, chairman of EFE Morocco board. “EFE-Maroc is grateful for the tremendous support of The MasterCard Foundation, which has enabled us to create a tangible impact for thousands of youth across Morocco.”

EFE-Maroc has formalized partnerships with more than 126 private sector companies over the course of the project. Al Morad alumni benefited from accessing job opportunities from partnerships with companies ranging from global multinationals like Accenture, Al Hokair, Jumia, Kaymu and Varun Beverage Maroc (Pepsi) to national enterprises such as Phone Group, Aswak Assalam, Royal Mogador, Marwa, and M2T.

“The Al-Morad project has established a critical link between young job seekers and employers in Morocco,” said Ann Miles, Director, Financial Inclusion and Youth Livelihoods at The MasterCard Foundation. “With increased access to high quality skills training and secure opportunities within the public and private sectors, thousands of economically disadvantaged young people are able to reach their potential as active participants in the labour force and contribute to social and economic change.”

Beyond impacting the private sector, the Al Morad project has helped to integrate formal career and employment preparation into the classrooms of universities and other public institutions for the first time.  Through the project, EFE-Maroc formalized agreements and offered training programs with universities including Hassan II University, Abdelmalek Essaadi, Chouainb Doukkali, Mohammed V Souissi, and public institutions including Office of Vocational Training and Job Promotion (OFPPT), National Agency for Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), Ministry of Youth and Sport, and Ministry of Tourism.

In partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, EFE-Maroc was able to extend its reach nationally and prepare youth to enter the workforce in cities across Morocco, including El Jadida, Mohammedia, Benslimane, Temara, Rabat, Salé, Kenitra, Larache, Assilah, Tétouan and Tanger.

The event is open to the media.  Representatives from The MasterCard Foundation and EFE will be available to speak to media, and alumni of the Al Morad project will also be on hand to share their experiences with journalists.

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About The MasterCard Foundation

The MasterCard Foundation works with visionary organizations to provide greater access to education, skills training and financial services for people living in poverty, primarily in Africa. As one of the largest, private foundations, its work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. Based in Toronto, Canada, its independence was established by MasterCard when the Foundation was created in 2006. For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org. Follow the Foundation at @MCFoundation on Twitter.

About Education For Employment (EFE)

Education For Employment (EFE) is the leading youth employment network in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  To create job opportunities for unemployed youth in MENA, EFE provides market-driven skills training that leads directly to jobs, startup support and pathways to employment.  Since 2006, EFE has pioneered a demand-driven approach to helping nearly 10,000 unemployed, high potential youth to secure their first job while supporting more than 2,000 businesses to obtain the entry-level talent they need to grow. Over half of EFE’s graduates are young women, reflecting EFE’s special focus on supporting women’s entry into the workforce. The EFE Network is comprised of locally-run EFE affiliates in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with support hub offices in the USA (New York City and Washington, DC), Europe (Madrid) and the UAE (Dubai).  To learn more, please visit www.efe.org and follow @EFE_Global.

EFE-Maroc is working nationally throughout Morocco, with program support from The MasterCard Foundation, Citi Foundation, Accenture Foundation, Abraaj group, Cummins. OCP Foundation, Zurich Insurance, and USAID.  To learn more about EFE-Maroc’s work, visit www.efemaroc.org.

Press contacts:

Malika Laasri, EFE-Maroc CEO, +212 6 20 12 06 66 or m.laasri@efemaroc.org

Mary Eleanor “Mariel” Davis, EFE-Global Communications & Partnerships Senior Manager, +20 (0) 1063673604,  mdavis@efe.org