Moroccan Unemployed Youth, SMEs to Benefit from IFC Training Tool and OCP Foundation Funding

Amideast/Morocco is preparing to deploy a new training tool that will enhance its efforts to provide employability skills training to Morocco’s large youth population. The “Business Edge” (BE) program—a product of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm—will also strengthen Amideast’s ability to provide management training for Morocco’s growing small and medium-size enterprise (SME) sector.
A training session at the OCP Foundation’s new Rihamna Skills Center in Bengeurir

The Business Edge toolkit was developed and introduced by the IFC to put management tools in the hands of owners, managers, and staff of SMEs, enabling them to grow their companies. The training encompasses a range of skills to improve personal productivity, human resources management, finance and accounting, quality and operations, and marketing. It is adapted to the local business context, and the IFC relies on a network of local franchised providers and certified trainers to deliver the training.

Amideast/Morocco will soon introduce the program at training centers in Benguerir and Khouribga that it manages on behalf of the country’s OCP Foundation. Employability skills training is a high priority for both centers, located in areas with high youth unemployment. The BE program will be offered to youth with significant education achievement as a way to help them hone management skills that would improve their chances of employment.

“Amideast is pleased to partner with the IFC to provide management training that will enable Morocco’s SME’s to grow. By targeting unemployed graduates, we also hope to make these young people more attractive to potential employers, particularly in the vibrant SME sector, and give them a chance to contribute to their country’s growth in years to come,” said Amideast/Morocco Country Director Joseph Phillips.