Journal of Performance Management, ISSN: 2820-7327, Volume 1, Issue 1 (2022), pp.

30-40

Moroccan University Graduates’ Employability Through

the Lens of the Employer: A Qualitative Study

Zoulal MANSOURI

Laboratoire de Recherche en Management des Organisations (LAREMO) , Ecole Supérieure de Technologie de

Casablanca, Hassan II University - Casablanca – Morocco , [email protected]

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to examine Moroccan university graduates’ employability skills from Moroccan
employers’ perspectives. To achieve this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted to explore a sampled group
of employers’ perceptions of the factors influencing university students’ employability. Purposive snowball
sampling was used to recruit the participants, interviews were used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used
to analyze data. The findings yielded four major themes: Graduates’ soft skills, graduates’ background prior to
enrolment in higher education, training job mismatch, and the image of the institution and degree. It was concluded
that university graduates’ lack of employability was due to individual factors related to the graduates, institutional
factors related to the education system, and factors related to the labor market.

Keywords: employability, university graduates, open admissions institutions, soft skills.

Paper Type: Case study

1. Introduction

Higher education graduates’ employability has an ever-increasing importance in the 21st-century

workplace. It is at the core of human capital development and the socio-economic challenges of many countries,
including Morocco. Nevertheless, if unemployment rates generally decrease with the level of the degree, the
situation is reversed in Morocco. The unemployment rates increase with the level of the degree. According to the
Moroccan Higher Commission for Planning, it goes from 12.9 % among people with no degree to 30.4% among
people with an average degree to 61.2% for graduates with a higher degree (HCP, 2021). According to the Higher
Council for Education, the unemployment rates peak among university open admissions institutions’ (OAIs)
graduates (23.6%), namely in the faculties of humanities, science, law, economics, and social sciences. They
decrease relatively among limited admissions institutions’ (LAIs) graduates, namely higher schools and institutes
(6,5%) (INEFRS, 2020). About 82.6% of OAIs’ graduates are affected by the long-term unemployment lasting
four years after graduation. Post-baccalaureate vocational training and LAIs’ graduates are moderately affected by
long-term unemployment, representing respectively 76.9% and 72.8% of unemployed graduates (INEFRS, 2021).
Thus, all the reforms the authorities and universities conducted to improve the quality of higher education
in the name of employability for over two decades have failed to enhance the graduates’ professional integration
in the job market. The National Charter for Education and Training in 1999 (NCET, 1999), the promulgation of
law 01.00 in 2000 (Loi, 01.00), the implementation of the LMD pedagogical structure (Licence, Master, Doctorat)
in 2003, the emergency plan in 2009 (Programme d’urgence, 2009-2012), the Strategic Vision in 2015 (VSR,
2015-2030), and the framework law 51-17 (Loi, 51.17) in 2019 all failed to restructure higher education and

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scientific research and could ensure neither its internal nor its external efficiency. One of the indicators of this
failure is the graduates’ lack of employability skills, which has become an issue for employers and a panacea for
the unemployment problems (Forrier et Sels, 2003; Hillage et Pollard, 1998; McQuaid et Lindsay, 2005;
Römgens et al., 2020).
Several studies, particularly the latest national quantitative study conducted by the Higher Council for
Education (INEFRS, 2021), provided answers to recurrent questions on students’ employability and delayed
integration into the job market after graduation. However, little is known about the graduates’ employability from
the employers’ perspectives, and it needs to be researched. Therefore, this paper aims to explore and understand,
through a qualitative study, the employers’ perceptions of the factors influencing university graduates’
employability, as the latter is a significant element of the employment relationship and a new dimension in human
resources management (Mercier,2011). Since its emergence, the notion of employability has been defined in many
ways (Gazier, 2017; Harvey, 2001; Laizé, 2007). From an individual perspective, it is defined as 'the possession
by an individual of the qualities and competencies required to meet the changing needs of employers and customers
and thereby help to realise his or her aspirations and potential in work' (CBI, 1999, p. 1). In this paper,
employability is used from a broader perspective considering both the university graduate and the market. It is
defined as ‘the relative capacity of an individual to achieve meaningful employment given the interaction of
personal circumstances and the labour market’ (CLFDB, 1994, viii).
2. Methodology and methods
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand a sampled group of employers’
perceptions of the factors influencing higher education students’ employability. To achieve this purpose, the
following questions guided the research:
Main question: What were the perceptions of the sampled group of employers of the factors influencing
university graduates’ employability?
The following sub-questions were developed further to the first three interviews:
 Were graduates’ factors highlighted in the accounts of the sampled group of employers regarding
university graduates’ employability?
 Were institutional factors highlighted in the accounts of the sampled group of employers regarding
university graduates’ employability?
 Were other factors highlighted in the accounts of the sampled group of employers regarding university
graduates’ employability?
This study was designed as a qualitative interview study (Charmaz, 2014; Creswell, 2014; Ritchie et al.,
2013; Rubin & Rubin, 2012; Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). It addressed a sample of 27 employers, mainly managers
(general manager, HR, finance, marketing, logistics, and CEO) in small, medium-sized, and large companies in
the public and private industry and service sectors in the Casablanca- Settat region. Purposive snowball sampling
until data saturation was used to recruit the participants (Charmaz, 2014, Creswell, 2014). Data were collected
from February to May 2022 using face-to-face in-depth interviews (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009; Rubin & Rubin,
2012). They were recorded, transcribed, and coded using Charmaz’s (2014) and Saldaña’s (2013) coding methods.
Coding was first done manually, and Nvivo software was used later to quantify data. Finally, data were analysed
using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis. As the interviews were conducted in the French

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language, the back translation technique (Brislin, 1970) was used to translate the participants’ quotes and revised
by a proven confident translator.
3. Discussion of findings
Four main themes each with subthemes were constructed based on ‘keyness’ and ‘prevalence’ (Braun &
Clarke, 2006) as indicated in this table:
Table 1. Themes’ Mentioning Distribution
Theme title N° of times mentioned N° of the participants
across all interview mentioning it
Graduates’ soft skills 312 27
Graduates’ background prior to enrollment in 242 21
higher education
Job training mismatch 230 25
Image of the institution and degree 202 23

Theme I: Graduates’ Soft Skills

‘Graduates’ soft skills’ was the most prevalent theme participants discussed unanimously. According to
the majority, these attributes are personality traits that help employers tell ‘good’ from ‘bad’ graduates. Soft skills
are behavioral skills that enable employees to integrate more quickly into a team, interact effectively, cope with
changes, and develop their versatility (Heckman & Kautz, 2012). This theme consisted of ten subthemes presented
in order of prevalence: Adaptability and flexibility; Language and communication skills; Upbringing; Creativity;
Teamwork; Leadership; Critical thinking; Productivity; and Decision making:
Adaptability and flexibility: According to the participants, flexibility and adaptability are two traits of
change that allow employees to cope in increasingly unstable environments. The participants interviewed in the
different sectors and types of companies unanimously highlighted these two skills as necessary at the workplace:
‘New recruits must be flexible so they can adapt to people, situations, and problems’ (HRM). Some participants
mentioned that adaptability presents opportunities for promotion: ‘Those who adapt to the changing strategies of
our company stay with us. We trust them with new positions and responsibilities’ (CEO). Some participants found
a relation between adaptability and the ability to work under pressure: ‘Graduates lacking adaptability don’t
manage to work under pressure (MM). Most participants went on further explaining that these skills became more
valuable the pandemic: ‘Covid 19 revealed that flexibility and adaptability come on the top of the list. I advise
faculty students to learn to be adaptable because they aren’t’ (HRM).
Language and communication skills: The second most discussed subtheme was 'language and
communication skills'. All the participants expressed their concern about the public university graduates’ linguistic
level in general: ‘It's catastrophic! These graduates don’t speak or write any language properly’ (HRM). Most
participants found that linguistic and communication weaknesses had a direct impact on the graduates’
employability: ‘I mean language, of course it’s the major obstacle to their employability. Communication is a
higher level issue’ (HRM). The majority of the participants went on to explain the impact of the language on other
skills, particularly for open admissions institutions’ graduates: ‘How can I ask them to take the initiative, be critical
if these poor graduates don’t know the language, they’ve never learned to develop, paraphrase, synthesize an idea,
that's it’ (FM). To some participants, Covid 19 was an opportunity to discover their staff’s linguistic and

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communication levels. Since then, they started testing linguistic and communication skills regardless of the
candidate’s academic level or degree: ‘The staff had to answer the phone, write emails, and there we were shocked
by all the linguistic weaknesses. So, post-Covid, all newcomers take an oral and written test regardless of their
degree’ (GM).
Upbringing: This sub-theme was particularly important to small and medium-sized company managers.
To them, upbringing is the foundation for good manners and trust, which translates into positive or negative
attitudes and behaviors in the company: ‘We first seek well brought up people. Everything else comes slowly with
time and experience’ (HR). Most participants in this category perceived upbringing as more critical than education:
‘We hire them, they work one or two days and leave without warning. That’s the result of upbringing, not university
education’ (HRM). More participants argued that the graduate’s upbringing was much more important than their
degree or the school: ‘It’s not the type of degree or the quality of the school that makes the difference, it’s their
upbringing that makes the difference’ (LM). Some participants related graduates’ upbringing to the Moroccan
society’s value system and went on further to make the family and the school system responsible for today’s
graduates’ lack of values: ‘Families have resigned, the school has withdrawn from its responsibility, and we find
ourselves with graduates without values, no respect, no honesty, or integrity’ (HRM).
Creativity: This fourth subtheme was particularly important to large company human resources
managers. To them, creativity was much more important than experience or competence. It is a potential source
of innovation and strategic differentiation. Thanks to creative graduates, companies may improve the quality and
solve problems innovatively: ‘The most important thing is their creative and innovative spirit. They must provide
solutions even without experience. Experience is gained over time’ (HRM). Some participants perceived open-
mindedness as necessary to develop creativity to overcome common project challenges and to increase the
company’s turnover: ‘We don’t talk about pure human management but an innovative open-minded human capital
ready to overcome the challenges of management and always think in terms of turnover impact’ (CEO).

Teamwork: This fifth subtheme was discussed by all the participants in all types of companies and sectors.
To them, teamwork is a complex exercise that requires several human qualities beyond intellect and knowledge.
Thus, the participants unanimously had a negative attitude towards faculty graduates’ ability to perform in a team:
‘Faculty graduates find it difficult to manage relationships, they aren’t good team players’ (MM). Some
participants further stated that graduates who do not adhere to the values of the team do not consequently adhere
to the company’s strategy: ‘Some graduates couldn’t integrate into our teams and into the company's strategy. It's
like a player on a team who wants to play his way’ (LM). Furthermore, most participants in the large companies’
category insisted on open-mindedness as the most important soft skill that defines an employee as a good or bad
team player. It shows in their sensitivity to external opinions and ability to take into account new knowledge, to
bring out new ideas, and to work with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds: ‘Today, we
work with plural teams, I mean, colleagues from different cultures, different religions, different sexual orientations.
Graduates, mainly from the public sector, are not open-minded and don’t know how to collaborate in plural teams’
(CEO).
Leadership and decision-making: The majority of the participants revealed that leadership was required
in the workplace. Generally, all actions should be focused on improving the company’s performance. Leadership
makes it possible to value and motivate the team members, develop creativity, and establish a culture of change,

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with a significant impact on performance and profitability: ‘It's not only managers who must have leadership. All
employees must demonstrate leadership skills, each at their level. Unfortunately, university graduates we receive
are far from that’ (MM).
To some participants, leadership and decision-making go hand in hand: ‘I delegate to one or two here
when necessary. I trust they can make good decisions in a timely manner’ (FM). Employees who cannot make
decisions are unattractive and can cost a lot to the company: ‘In our industry, time is money. The staff must be
smart at making quick and sound decisions’ (MM). Some participants clarified that employees who are accountable
for their decisions, even at the lowest levels, are generally trusted and seen as the future leaders and managers of
the company. A few business owners interviewed reported that decision-making ability was one of the conditions
to prepare their successors: ‘It’s time to pass the torch to my children and it’ll be my youngest. We all trust him,
he dares to make decisions. He usually weighs the pros and cons and provides several options’ (GM). On the other
hand, the majority of the participants criticised the graduates’ lack of decision-making ability: ‘Even those from
reputable schools do not have this ability to make decisions. I think it's due to a lack of self-esteem and self-
confidence. They’re scared of failing as if they were still in school’ (FM).
Critical thinking: By promoting doubt and questioning acquired knowledge, critical thinking constantly
seeks to probe whether there is another explanation, a better way, often unsuspected. According to all the
participants, critical thinking mobilises certain cognitive flexibility in the service of innovation, evolution, and
transformation. According to most participants, graduates in general and faculty graduates, in particular, lack
critical thinking skills. They find it difficult to ask questions, process information, analyse details, and take the
initiative: ‘Too bad, they can’t dig into the how and why of things’ (MM). Most participants perceived critical
thinking as a joint responsibility of the family, the school, and society. It is a long process that requires training: '
These poor graduates were oppressed at school, in the family, in society. How do you expect them to be critical
thinkers overnight?’ (GM). To a few participants, the graduates’ lack of critical thinking was due to high school
education curricula: ‘We abandoned philosophy in high school in favor of Islamic studies. There’s nothing to
discuss or analyse’ (GM).
Productivity: This sub-theme revealed that the majority of the participants expected graduates to be
productive immediately after graduation. According to them, graduates should be able to manage their professional
responsibilities independently, be competent, and provide results immediately after integrating into the company:
‘We need productive candidates. We don’t have time, and we don’t have staff to train them. They must know their
job’ (HRM). Some participants perceived the new recruit in terms of cost: ‘Hiring costs a lot to our company, so
we expect them to pay it back and fast’ (LM). Some participants expressed their skepticism about the quality of
the graduates’ education because of their lack of immediate productivity: ‘Despite their qualifications that are
sometimes impressive, they aren’t productive right away, which calls into question all their education in my
opinion’ (FM).
Theme II: Student Background Prior to Enrollment in Higher Education
The second theme, entitled ‘student background prior to enrollment in higher education,’ consisted of
three subthemes presented by keyness and prevalence: Pre-university education, Academic advising, and Career
goal:
Pre-university education: In this sub-theme, the majority of the participants frequently discussed the
impact of the past education on the students’ personalities and future employability. According to the majority of

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the participants, there are many life skills such as communication, collaboration, empathy, concentration, and self-
control that students can acquire at primary and secondary school: ‘Employability practice should start in
secondary education, not at the university. It's too late!’. Some participants expressed empathy towards graduates
from the Moroccan public school: ‘Poor kids! It's not their fault, the Arabization, learning by heart like parrots,
but they can’t go on like this at the workplace’ (HRM). The majority of the participants went on further to deplore
the Moroccan school education system prior to the university. They even called for its transformation: ‘We must
rethink the Moroccan education system altogether from preschool’ (CEO). On the other hand, all the participants
praised the French and other private education systems: ‘Take students from the French school, you can tell the
difference, in language, expression, writing, and communication’ (FM).

Academic advising: Most participants shared that academic advising prior to university plays a significant
role in students’ employability. It allows the students to have a clear career goal and gives them chances of success.
However, the majority of the participants deplored the lack of academic advising in the Moroccan school system:
‘Students do whatever after graduation without any preparation or guidance. This inevitably affects their
employability’ (HRM). Some participants deplored student enrolment at the faculty without a purpose: ‘Why do
they study anything without a goal in mind? They know it won't lead them anywhere’ (GM). Some participants
substantiated this view and added that the choice of studies and employability are closely related and conditioned
by social status: ‘Poor students go to the faculty, rich students to private schools, and no surprise, the degree of
employability takes shape according to this status. It's not fair, but that's how it is’ (FM).

Career goal: Most participants discussed the relevance of a career goal in graduates’ employability.
Having a career goal allows graduates to build a career gradually throughout their professional life: ‘A career goal
definitely is a kind of foundation for employability’. However, all the participants unanimously agreed that most
graduates from the public education system completely ignored the purpose of a career goal in their life:
‘Candidates from the faculty are shocked when asked to talk about their career goal. They don't know what that is.
How do you expect them to know what they want to do here?’ (HRM). Most participants agreed that today’s
graduates have never been trained to develop a career goal: ‘Employability starts by bringing students to discover
themselves, to build and visualise themselves into a career. This doesn’t happen’ (DM). More participants stated
further that the educational and social systems were responsible for the graduates’ lack of career goal: ‘Neither the
school nor the family asks these young people questions upstream about their talents, skills, desires, and career
goal’ (MM).
Theme III: Job Training Mismatch
Training job market mismatch is challenging for today’s and tomorrow’s professions. All the higher
education reforms carried out in Morocco since 1999 have been conducted to enhance graduates’ employability
by matching education and the job market requirements. Indeed, the majority of the employers interviewed often
put forward the job training mismatch as the main reason behind graduates’ high unemployment rates. This theme
consists of three sub-themes: Curricula, internships, and extra-curricular activities.
Curricula: Most of the participants seemed to be well informed about the different higher education
curricula at the public university, and all of them pointed out the recurrent problem of the job training mismatch
due to inadequate subjects that are of little use to students and employers: ‘It's hard to find what we’re looking for.

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There’s this disjunction between training programmes and the market. Obviously, this negatively affects your
graduates’ (DM). The majority of the participants reported that given the rapid changes in the labour market,
universities have to cease training students without employment policies and job prospects in mind: ‘Universities
shouldn’t train students without prospects of jobs in mind’ (HRM). Some participants were more specific about
trainings that that do not keep pace with the country’s economic transitions and register the highest dropout and
unemployment rates at open admissions institutions : ‘It’s time to stop producing with surpluses in Arabic
literature, Islamic studies, and law, etc.,’ (DM). It was also interesting to note that the majority of the participants
revealed the key role of the professors in adopting curricula that enhance students’ key competencies for
employability or lack of it: ‘Professors should be aware of their impact on their students’ future employability’
(HRM). Some participants shared this view and stated further that graduates’ lack of employability was due to the
academics' obsolete course content: ‘How do you expect students to be employable? I know professors who
haven’t updated their course since 1980’ (GM).
Internships: All the participants unanimously discussed the internship as a determining factor in the
graduates’ employability, orientation, and future career. It is an opportunity for students to learn, be confronted
with the job market, put their knowledge into practice, and highlight their professional achievements. Nevertheless,
the majority of the participants deplored their lack in the faculties’ curricula: ‘The faculty is all about theory.
Students never do internships, which results in dead training and students cut off the job market’ (HRM). On the
other hand, all the participants praised the higher education private system for its integration into the ecosystem
and its use for students’ internships and recruitment: ‘The strength of private universities lies in their relationships
with companies and immersion of students in internships as early as in their first year’ (HRM).
Extracurricular Activities: All the participants highlighted the importance of extra-academic
experiences, particularly extracurricular activities that contribute to the development of the students’
employability. These activities enable the latter to acquire a set of skills, knowledge, and personal qualities that
recruiters associate with the global transformation of the individual. Nevertheless, the majority of the participants
showed their disenchantment with the lack of these activities at the open admissions institutions, which would be,
in their opinion, an abundant source of student un-employability: ‘No theatre, no football, no basketball or anything
to entertain students and help them to develop skills of teamwork, emotional intelligence, etc.’ (FM). On the other
hand, most participants praised the private higher education system for making extracurricular activities a major
component in student personal development: ‘Private institutions invest in extracurricular activities that construct
men and women leaders. These activities make a whole difference' (MM). The majority of the participants
explained that extracurricular activities were an undeniable factor of attractiveness for recruiters: ‘When I see that
a candidate involved in activities such as associations, volunteering, and charity projects, I take him seriously’
(HRM).
Theme IV: Image of the institution and degree
With increased competition in higher education nationally and internationally, the image of the higher
education institution and the degree origin is becoming more and more relevant. The external image of an
institution seems to be seen as part of the strategy and direction of the institution. Indeed, the majority of the
participants perceived the image of the higher education institution where graduates had completed their degree
and the origin of the degree as a determinant in the graduates’ employability. The value of the institution and the

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degree was segmented into public and private. Thus, this theme consisted of two subthemes: public versus private
institution and public versus private degree:
Public versus private institution: Most participants confessed a noticeable difference between institutions
and degrees: ‘We had experience with graduates from public and private universities, public and public schools,
you can tell the difference’ (HRM). To some employers, the institution was much more important than the diploma
itself: ‘A degree is just proof that he or she acquired some knowledge. It's the reputation of the institution issuing
this degree that counts for us’ (FM). The majority of the participants had a negative attitude toward public
institutions compared to private ones: ‘The image of the public university, I mean faculties and even higher
schools, is not very glorious’ (HRM). On the other hand, the majority of the participants showed a positive attitude
toward private institutions. Among the characteristics attributed to private higher education, several were widely
shared by the employers interviewed and reflected an overall favorable image: ‘I consider a CV from well-known
private universities very seriously because they train minds, encourage entrepreneurship, leadership, etc.’ (DM).
Public vs. private degree: While the majority of the participants praised the private degrees in favor of
public degrees, they also indicated that the origin of the degree would not so much be a sign of excellence in itself
but an instrument to position the potential candidates who are motivated and have career goals: ‘A degree shows
a level of education. After all, the career depends on the candidate's potential, motivation, and career goal’ (MM).
A few participants expressed their skepticism about public degree holders: ‘We had graduates with solid degrees,
even doctorates, but had serious interpersonal issues and couldn’t keep the job’ (MM). While soft skills and
experience are becoming increasingly important in the recruitment process, a few participants went even further
to question the degree's value: ‘I rarely involve the degree during recruitment. When selecting CVs, I look
primarily at the professional experience and behavioral skills’ (HRM).
4. Conclusion
The evidence from the above indicates that the employers’ perceptions of graduates’ employability
revealed factors inherent to the graduates, namely soft skills and background prior to enrolment in higher
education, institutional factors related to the higher education training and the job market mismatch, and factors
related to the image of the institution and degree. Firstly, soft skills have become a determining criterion for
employers in Morocco and an issue in school and university training. Long conceptualized and valued in the
Anglo-Saxon world, soft skills emerged strongly during all the interviews as the most important skills young
graduates need to achieve personal and professional success more quickly. These social, behavioral, cognitive, and
emotional skills allow graduates to integrate into the job market and meet the challenges of the very uncertain
world of tomorrow. They are transversal and crossed in the sense that each has an impact on the other, and it is
impossible to rank their relative importance, which implies placing oneself in a lifelong learning posture that
should start from primary, secondary, university, and continue throughout life.
Secondly, the thematic analysis revealed that pre-university education negatively impacts the graduates’
future careers and reinforces the inequality of employability opportunities. Due to a lack of an advising policy,
most students enroll systematically in open admissions institutions after getting a baccalaureate degree without
orientation or career goals. Therefore, it may be useful to adopt academic advising policies to orient the flow of
students to the different educational streams and institutions reasonably and fairly. Students should be introduced
to different jobs and fields of study and provided support to build a career goal early in secondary school.
Furthermore, it may be helpful to create bridges in the whole education system to allow students to change

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orientation during schooling, and make study and career choices that are informed based on sufficient knowledge
of the different possible paths.
Thirdly, the training and job mismatch was often put forward as the main reason behind graduates’
unemployment and lack of employability. There is a supply and demand imbalance, which remains marked by an
increasingly qualified population of new entrants to the labour market and an increasingly pronounced gap between
the graduates’ qualifications and the needs of the labour market. Open admissions institutions graduates’,
particularly holders of a ‘licence’ degree in humanities, economics, and law, are confronted with the problem of
employability, and they are slightly more exposed to the risk of unemployment. Nevertheless, if this argument
calls into question the external efficiency of the education and training system, it also questions the economy's role
and the labour market's capacity to absorb higher education graduates. Furthermore, the fact that companies expect
graduates to be immediately productive questions their willingness to share their part of responsibility by investing
in the graduates' training and integration. Without sufficient support during the onboarding process, graduates may
not feel comfortable taking up their position. Therefore, implementing a comprehensive onboarding process may
help graduates transition into their new roles and confidently expand their skills.
The last theme, entitled ‘image of the institution and the degree,’ shows how employers establish their
grid differentiating between graduates’ institutions and degrees based on the image of the institution and the quality
of its degree. The Moroccan higher education system's organizational structure includes public and private
universities, universities in a public-private partnership mode, and the vocational training of specialized
technicians. The qualitative findings revealed that, among all these, public open admissions institutions do not
always produce graduates who 'are valued' according to the logic of the job market. Nevertheless, it should be
noted that these institutions are subject to certain constraints which reduce their ability to train ‘employable’
graduates. Despite sustained public efforts to fund university higher education since 1999, the massive increase in
student enrolments and, by extension, student-professor ratios deterioration in open admissions institutions, the
average cost per student is almost four times lower than that recorded in admissions access institutions (INEFRS,
2021). Consequently, the number of students trained, the level of supervision, and the means and resources
allocated to the institutions in each system undeniably create inequalities in the quality of training and job market
integration. Nevertheless, it should be noted that even the professional degrees such as the 'professional licence’,
created following the implementation of the LMD reform, their holders do not escape the employability problems.
This study contributed to understanding the training-employment relationship in the current debate on job
training mismatch and higher education’s ability to train employable graduates in Morocco. First, it shed light on
reasons that might explain why graduates do not all integrate into the job market under the same conditions.
Second, it provided information on university open admissions institutions’ graduates as the most affected by the
employability skills deficiency. Third, this study revealed that the university's fundamental missions have now
added new expectations from society and public authorities: The employability and professional integration of
graduates and, more broadly, active participation in the development of the knowledge economy. Thus, the
Moroccan university should rethink its governance, training methods, and its relationship with the ecosystem. It
should constantly question the profile of the graduates and be fully aware of their opportunities and weaknesses to
contribute to their personal and professional development and, ultimately, the country’s human capital and
economic growth.

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