Rabat: In a bid to strengthen the strategic partnership for skills development and employment, Morocco’s Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri, held on Thursday in Rabat talks with the Dutch Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Morocco, Dirk-Jan Nieuwenhuis.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, during the meeting, Sekkouri and Nieuwenhuis signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in vocational training. The agreement establishes a structured framework based on the complementary expertise of both nations and a shared vision of human capital development as a key driver of competitiveness, social inclusion, and innovation.
On an international level, the MoU reflects the commitments set forth by the High Royal Guidelines regarding human capital development. It also aligns with the ambitions of the national Roadmaps for Vocational Training and Employment, which prioritize opening Morocco’s vocational training system
to leading international practices to enhance youth employment and national economic competitiveness.
Furthermore, the MoU highlights a mutual ambition to make skills development a catalyst for economic competitiveness, productive sovereignty, social inclusion, and youth opportunity creation.
To achieve this, Morocco and the Netherlands have agreed to center their cooperation on four strategic priorities: “Training for Employment,” “Training for Skills in a Constantly Evolving Labor Market,” “Investing in Quality and Equal Opportunity,” and “Establishing Morocco as an African Hub for Skills Development.”
Consequently, the partnership allows Morocco to leverage Dutch expertise in apprenticeships and dual training programs, aiming to better align vocational education with actual business needs and improve job placement for young people.
The collaboration will also help further integrate cross-disciplinary skills-such as soft skills, languages, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship-into training curricula,
drawing inspiration from the Dutch “Orange Corners” initiative.
Additionally, the partnership includes capacity building for trainers, mobility for educational professionals, and the establishment of scholarships for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure equitable access to quality education.
Morocco and the Netherlands will also develop a triangular partnership benefiting allied African nations, thereby cementing the Kingdom’s position as a leading regional player in human capital development and South-South cooperation.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for Sekkouri and Nieuwenhuis to identify initial sectors of cooperation with high potential for value creation, employment, and innovation. These include water management, energy, sustainable agriculture, digital skills, and entrepreneurship. These sectors represent shared priorities to support the ecological, technological, and economic transitions, ultimately preparing future generations for the jobs of tomorrow.
Concluding the talks, b
oth parties reaffirmed their shared ambition to turn the Moroccan-Dutch partnership into an innovative cooperation lab dedicated to employment, skills development, and preparing youth for future professions. They agreed to continue identifying new initiatives designed to further strengthen the ties of friendship and trust uniting the Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.