Posted on November 21, 2011

MasterCard Foundation, Partners Launch $3.2 Million Program for Youth Employment in Morocco

The MasterCard Foundation and the Education for Employment Foundation have announced the launch of a four-year, $3.2 million partnership that aims to bolster the job skills of young unemployed Moroccans.

In collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, ManpowerGroup, Microsoft, YNNA Holding, University Hassan II, and Amal Job, the MORAD project will provide market-relevant training to some three thousand unemployed university graduates — half of them women, and at least 80 percent of whom will be placed in career-building jobs. In addition, EFE will leverage its network of universities, local and international companies, NGOs, and youth centers to provide job training focused on skills linked to sectors with high demand and growth potential to a larger, more diverse segment of 12,500 disadvantaged young people. The project will be implemented by EFE-Maroc, EFE's Moroccan affiliate.

More than 40 percent of Moroccans between the ages of 15 and 34 are unemployed, making the project particularly significant for the partners. "The partnership with the MasterCard Foundation will scale-up the EFE model for youth employment and build on the strong track record and partnerships developed in Morocco to help turn the country's youth unemployment crisis into its most promising economic dividend," said EFE president and CEO Jamie McAuliffe. "Together, we will create a brighter future for thousands of youth through training courses that lead to meaningful employment opportunities."