Morocco to boost youth and women employment through €200M AfDB-backed initiative

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved €200 million in financing for the implementation of the Cap Compétences 2030 programme, a major initiative aimed at improving employment opportunities for young people and women in Morocco. The programme is designed to strengthen the country’s vocational training system while supporting labour market integration through targeted, results-based reforms.

The approved financing will be delivered through a results-based mechanism, with a strong focus on improving the relevance, quality, and diversity of vocational education and training. Key components of the programme include the digitalisation of services, the large-scale deployment of learning systems, and the reinforcement of labour market integration tools to ensure stronger connections between training pathways and employment outcomes.

The initiative seeks to expand access to diversified training opportunities while improving the professional integration of beneficiaries. Particular attention is given to addressing barriers faced by young people and women, who remain disproportionately affected by unemployment and skills mismatches.

Programme pillars and implementation framework

Cap Compétences 2030 is built around three main pillars designed to modernise vocational training and align it more closely with labour market demand. The first pillar focuses on skills development and strategic partnerships, encouraging collaboration between training institutions, employers, and other stakeholders to ensure that programmes respond to evolving economic needs.

The second pillar centres on inclusive training aligned with business requirements, with an emphasis on improving access to programmes that are directly connected to workforce demand. This component aims to strengthen employability by ensuring that skills acquired through training correspond to real opportunities in the labour market.

The third pillar addresses digital transformation, supported by strengthened institutional and operational capacity. This includes the digitalisation of training services and the scaling up of learning systems to improve efficiency, accessibility, and overall programme performance. Together, these pillars are intended to modernise the vocational training ecosystem while ensuring long-term sustainability.

In addition to introducing new approaches, the programme will consolidate existing mechanisms, improving both their efficiency and reach. By building on current systems rather than replacing them, Cap Compétences 2030 aims to maximise impact while reinforcing continuity in vocational training and employment support structures.

Alignment with national priorities and long-term engagement

According to Achraf Tarsim, Country Manager of the African Development Bank Group in Morocco, Cap Compétences 2030 is closely aligned with national employment priorities. He said the programme supports the country’s National Employment Roadmap 2025–2030 and is consistent with the Bank’s strategic vision under its Four Cardinal Points. Tarsim noted that the shared objective is to harness the demographic dividend to support value creation and promote employment, particularly for young people and women.

The Bank’s intervention is being implemented in close coordination with technical and financial partners to ensure coherence and complementarity in support of public policy reforms. This coordinated approach is intended to strengthen the effectiveness of reforms related to vocational training, employment, and labour market integration.

Cap Compétences 2030 also reflects the African Development Bank Group’s long-standing engagement in Morocco across key areas of human development, employment, and social inclusion. The programme builds on a broader portfolio of results-based operations that contribute to structural reforms of the labour market and the vocational training system.

Since its establishment, the African Development Bank Group has mobilised more than €15 billion in financing for Morocco across a wide range of strategic sectors. These include education, health, employment, infrastructure, energy, and governance. The approval of Cap Compétences 2030 further reinforces the Bank’s commitment to supporting inclusive growth and sustainable development through skills development and labour market reform.