‘Green jobs’ for young people in rural areas

Project description

Title: Promotion of green jobs for young people in rural areas
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Co-funded by: European Union
Country: Morocco
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development and Waters and Forests – Department of Waters and Forests
Overall term: 2018 to 2022

Context

In recent years, Morocco’s economy has recorded constant, but moderate growth. This is helping to improve the living conditions of the Moroccan population.

However, there is still a huge rural-urban divide in Morocco. Up to now, it has predominantly been the more highly qualified people in urban areas who have benefited from this development. In contrast, people in rural areas continue to have very few career prospects. Those living here are faced with major social and financial problems.

According to official figures, the unemployment rate in the population as a whole is ten per cent. The problem is even more serious among young people, nearly a quarter of whom are not in any form of employment. In the countryside in particular, not enough jobs are being created to sufficiently integrate school leavers and university graduates into the world of work. At the same time, there is a lack of training placements. The country’s social climate and continued positive development are at risk.

Although the available natural resources offer great market potential for green economic activities and careers in this sector, the country has up to now hardly tapped this potential.

Objective

The employment situation for young people in rural areas is improved.

Approach

The project supports young people in rural areas who are unemployed or only in temporary employment and who have little if any training. It strives to achieve a fundamental improvement in their employment and income situation.

To this end, it is developing training courses for ecologically sustainable careers, referred to as ‘green jobs’. In addition to this, the project provides technical advisory services and funding. The offer is particularly aimed at micro and small enterprises and young entrepreneurs in areas related to the environment such as fishing or processing wood and natural products. This is giving rise to an increased number of qualified jobs for young people and women.

The project also strives to create a decentrally organised advice and training network for green employment. This will allow people in rural areas and in mountainous regions to obtain professional advice on implementing their ideas even after the project has ended. This can facilitate long-term development in the region.

The plan is for at least 2,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 35 to find new employment by the year 2022. At least a third of them are to be women. A further goal is to support at least 1,000 young people and ten company founders in increasing their incomes through their projects. The national education and training centre plays a particular role here. The plans, which have been drawn up with the Moroccan Department of Water and Forests and the ‘Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity’, are specifically tailored to careers in rural areas. The centre is to continue helping young people improve their employment and income situation after the end of the project. By creating green jobs, it will simultaneously be protecting natural resources and nature reserves.