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

1-14

Employability in higher education: a review of key

stakeholders’ perspectives in Morocco

Sara EL AIDAa & Abdelkader SABILb

a
Moroccan American Studies Laboratory (MAS) / Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, University Hassan II,
Ben M’Sik Casablanca, [email protected]
b
Moroccan American Studies Laboratory (MAS) / Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, University Hassan II,
Ben M’Sik Casablanca, [email protected]

Abstract

In Morocco, employability has become an important concept given its relationship with higher education.
Unemployment rate is increasing especially among graduates. It has become essential to differentiate
employability and employment as it is commonly thought that the university from which graduates obtained their
diplomas is the most important factor determining - their employability.
This paper aims to provide an understanding of employability in the context of the Moroccan job market. It also
tries to explore the current state of knowledge on graduates’ employability, the difference between employment
and employability, different stakeholders’ perspectives on graduates’ employability: the university, government,
graduates, and employers. To do so, this paper adopts an exploratory approach as a methodology. It will review
papers from the old and recent literature on graduate employability; and will highlight the main issues tackled by
researchers. It will shed light as well on the current employment and unemployment statuses in Morocco and,
finally, it will identify the needs of the Moroccan job market, university stakeholders and employers. This paper
will also recommend future research perspectives in the field.
Most recent findings suggest that implementing employability skills within the curricula of higher education
institutes can boost future graduates’ employment prospects. Students/undergraduates should also be aware of
employability skills needed to develop during their undergraduate studies. Other studies show that universities’
curricula should always open room for an evaluation of the employability skills taught so they would be in
accordance with the job market needs in order to uprise students’ prospects of employment.

Key words: Employability, Higher Education, Graduate, Stakeholder, Perspectives.

Paper Type: Review paper

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1. Introduction

The problem of young graduates’ professional integration is an open debate that requires the involvement
and interest of all stakeholders, students, the educational system, companies and administrations, in order to
propose practical alternatives that can easily be applied to facilitate the integration of graduates into the labor
market.
The employability of young people is a major concern in our country, and the professional integration remains one
of the major challenges to be addressed at the national level. A mismatch between supply and demand in the
Moroccan labor market is witnessed.
The goal of this paper is to give an overview of the labor market in Morocco by contrasting the results
and statistics of different organisms on graduates’ employability and the different stakeholders’ perceptions on
employability.
This article is organized in four sections. Section 1 presents the context and the definitions. Section 2
presents the Moroccan labor market as seen by official institutions. The third section presents the different
stakeholders’ perceptions on employability. The last section deals with the challenges to graduates’ employability
and the public efforts undertaken to facilitate their integration.
2. Literature Review

2.1 Context and definitions

2.1.1. Understanding Employability

According to the Cork Institute of Technology’s (CIT) Careers Service 1, employability is the ability to
obtain employment and maintain it. Dacre Pool & Sewell (2007) define employability as follows: “Employability
is having a set of skills, knowledge, understanding and personal attributes that make a person more likely to choose
and secure occupations in which they can be satisfied and successful.”
The concept of employability has been at the center of discussion from researchers, public officials and
employers. It has also been given more attention in the last decade worldwide in various disciplines including
career research, education, management, and psychology (Forrier and Sels, 2003).
Graduates’ Employability
Employability has always been central to employment. Yet, its definition changes and develops
throughout time depending on different aspects such as time, context, targeted individuals and purposes. According
to Versloot et al. (1998), during the past decades, particular attention has been drawn towards ‘the society’, ‘the
company’ and ‘the individual worker’ when defining the term employability. The authors explain that ‘the societal’
aspect stands for a country’s low unemployment rate and economic health. Hence, employability is an indicator
of the country’s positive employment status. Then, when talking about ‘the company aspect’, employability is
referred to as ‘matching the supply and demand in a changing organization’. Finally, as for ‘the worker’s aspect,
employability is the opportunity to land and keep a job in the labor market. All three aspects lead to the same
definition which is “the possibility to survive in the labor market” as implied by the authors.

1
For more details, visit the CIT’s website. (accessed on July, 16th 2022)

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Since late 1980s, the concept of employability received considerable attention around the globe due to
globalization and technological advancement. Many researchers attempted to simplify the concept, mainly to
facilitate communication between employers and governmental institutions, as well as future employees to serve
the common interest of societies as well as their economy.
Hillage and Pollard (1998), Harvey (2001) and Yorke (2006) have largely contributed to the context of
higher education on employability. Hillage and Pollard (1998) argue that employability depends on the
individual’s competencies and skills, and the way they manage to update their resources so they would sustain
their employment. It all relies on how individuals efficiently exploit and put forward their knowledge to realize
their potential, and at the same time, land and maintain their jobs.
Harvey (2001) explains that employability is not only about finding and securing a job, but rather lies in
the ‘propensity’ of the graduates to find a job and making a distinction between what he calls ‘the individual
employability and institutional performance’.
As for York (2006), his definition goes hand in hand with that of Hillage and Pollard’s, in the sense that
the individual’s employability is mostly related to his/her ability to secure a job. York further adds that a ‘graduate
job’ is ‘chosen’ and related to “one’s achievements, understandings and personal attributes” and that what makes
them more employable, benefits them, their community and economy.
Other researchers including Brown et al. (2003) indicate that Hillage and Pollard’s definition disregards
the labor market conditions and needs that affect the graduates’ ability to find employment, which have nothing to
do with the graduates’ capabilities. They also add that employability is not an institutional success-related but
rather an individual accomplishment.
As aforementioned, definitions of employability differ depending on the various stakeholders’
perspectives.
Graduates’ Employability & Integration into the Moroccan Job Market
Morocco has made significant economic progress over the past 20 years, which has improved the standard
of living of its population. Per capita income doubled between 2000 and 2019, while poverty rate fell to one-third
of its 2000 level. Literacy rates and health outcomes have improved, as has access to basic infrastructure such as
water and electricity supply. Labor productivity has also improved thanks to a significant accumulation of public
capital, but the pace is slowing and there is considerable room for efficiency improvements. (WB & HCP, 2021)
However, Morocco's economic growth has not been sufficiently labor-intensive to absorb the growing
working-age population. Morocco's growth has shown little capacity to generate jobs, and this situation was
exacerbated after the 2008 financial crisis, as it was in southern Europe. Few jobs have been created in the
industrial sector, which slowed growth in this sector and thus the pace of structural change. The country is also
characterized by a large informal sector, high inactivity rates, a predominance of low value-added services, and a
difficult business environment, especially for start-ups.
The employability of young graduates has become a major concern in Morocco. Their professional
integration remains one of the main challenges to be addressed at the national level. Such a problem requires the
participation of all stakeholders, higher education decision makers, public officials, employers and students to
suggest effective solutions and alternatives that can facilitate the integration of future graduates into the job market.

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Based on the latest report, Activity, Employment and Unemployment, Fourth Quarter 2021, published by
the Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP,(2021)), the unemployment rate is higher among young people aged 15 to
24 (32.7%), graduates (19.5%) and women (17.3%).
Similarly, Mezzour et al. (2017, 2018) argue that unemployment rate is mostly high among people aged
15-24 compared to those aged 25 and more. The creation of new jobs is not in line with the growing working-age
population. In 2018, roughly, two new jobs were added to the workforce for every five new entrants. What is more
surprising is that young people with superior diplomas are five times more likely to be unemployed than those
without any degree. Those graduating with the Licence d’Etudes Fondamentales are less employable than those
graduating with a Licence Professionnelle. Unemployment among graduates with higher diplomas in Morocco is
mainly dueto the overall lack of jobs, and the mismatch existing between the training courses offered and the real
needs of the economy. (EACEA, 2017)
2.1.2. The labor market viewed by official institutions

The Moroccan labor market according to the HCP’s research (2017, 2021)

The size of the Moroccan labor market will grow strongly in the coming years. Morocco has a population
of 34.4 million, among which 46.2 percent are under 25 years of age. The ongoing demographic transition,
resulting from a decline in the population growth rate from an average of 1.35 percent per year between 1994 and
2004 to 1.25 percent between 2004 and 2014, has halved the dependency ratio between 1970 and 2010.The latter
will remain historically low until 2030 (see the chart below). This evolution may constitute a real opportunity for
the country, if the working-age population (increasing by 430,000 people on average per year by 2030) is properly
integrated into the labor market. On the other hand, it could also become a major social risk if the integration of
these young people is not successful (HCP, 2017-2021).
Figure 1.Change in the unemployment rate between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022 for
selected categories of the population (in %) (HCP, 2022)

32.5 33.4

17.5 17.3 19.8 18.9

17.1 16.3
10.9 10.5 12.5 12.1
5.0 4.6 5.3 5.1

Masculin Féminin 15-24 ans Non Diplômés Urbain Rural National

diplômés

2021 2022

The number of unemployed people decreased by 68,000 persons between the first quarter of 2021 and
2022, bringing the total from 1,534,000 to 1,466,000. This decrease is about 52,000 in urban areas and 16,000 in
rural areas.
The unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022,
from 12.5% to 12.1%. It decreased in both rural and urban areas, respectively from 5.3 percent to 5.1 percent and
from 17.1 percent to 16.3 percent, respectively.

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The unemployment rate also fell among women (-0.2 percentage points), from 17.5% to 17.3%, but
increased among young people aged 15 to 24 (+0.9 percentage points), from 32.5% to 33.4%, mainly in urban
areas, from 45.6% to 47.7%.
Regarding graduates, the unemployment rate has, for its part, recorded a decline of 0.9 point, from 19.8%
to 18.9%. On the other hand, unemployment rate among graduates of higher education recorded an increase from
26.2% to 26.7% (0.5 point). The largest increase was recorded among specialized technicians and those with higher
degrees (+3.2 points with a rate of 35%), followed by holders of higher degrees who graduates from faculties (+1.2
points with a rate of 28.6%) and higher degrees detainers issued by schools and institutes (+0.8 points with a rate
of 9%).
The unemployment rate for middle-level graduates fell from 16.1% to 14.4%. This decrease is more
significant among graduates with professional qualifications (-2.6 points with a rate of 22.3%).
Figure 2.Change in unemployment rate by degree, between the first quarter of 2021 and 2022 (%)
Regional labor market situation in Morocco

Aucun diplôme 4.6

5.0
Certificats en spécialisation professionnelle 30.9
31.4
Diplômes en qualification professionnelle 22.3
24.9
Diplômes de techniciens spécialisés et supérieurs 35.0
31.8
Diplômes de techniciens et de cadres moyens 27.3
27.6
Diplômes supérieurs délivrés par les écoles et les instituts 9.0
8.2
Diplômes supérieurs délivrés par les facultés 28.6
27.4
Diplômes de l'enseignement secondaire qualifiant 21.5
22.7
Diplômes et certificats de l'enseignement primaire et… 12.9
14.3

2022 2021

Five regions account for 72.3% of all working people aged 15 and more. The Casablanca-Settat region is
in the first rank with 22.2% of the active population, followed by Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (13.4%), Marrakech-Safi
(13.0%), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (12.1%) and Fez-Meknes (11.6%).
Almost three quarters of the unemployed (73.2%) are concentrated in five regions; Casablanca-Settat
(26.8% unemployed), followed by Fez-Meknes (14%), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (11.6%), the Oriental region (11.0%)
and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (9.7%)
The highest unemployment rates are witnessed in the Oriental region (20.2%) and the Southern regions
(19.6%). Two other regions exceed the national average (12.1%) namely Fez-Meknes (14.6%) and Casablanca-
Settat (14.5%). On the other hand, the regions of Beni Mellal-Khénifra, Drâa-Tafilalet, and Marrakech-Safi record
rates of 9.4%, 9.0% and 6.8%respectively.
Figure 3.Unemployment rate by region in Q1 2022 (%)

Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma 50.8

46.8
Béni Mellal-Khénifra 44.7
44.6
National 44.5
43.5
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra 43.4
42.5
Fès-Meknès 42.4
41.8
Souss-Massa 38.0

2.1.3. Different Perceptions on Employability

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 Higher Education’ Perception on Employability

The uncoupling of training from public employment, back in 1980, still has major consequences on youth
employability until now. The social and cyclical orientation in addition to the requirements that companies impose
on graduates both limit and affect their integration into the job market.
Higher education is one of the key elements of social, cultural and economic development. Currently
several obstacles are preventing the development of the Moroccan educational system. In Morocco,200,000 young
people enter the labor market every year, while the economy only creates 120,000 jobs. According to a World
Bank study (2017), Morocco should create 400,000 jobs per year over the next ten years to eliminate
unemployment. In a seminar organized about Youth Employability, Ouhejjou and El Boujnouni (2013) argue that
higher education in Morocco as a whole lacks quality theoretical and practical pedagogies to prepare students for
their future professional integration into the job market. One of the main concerns that face Morocco’s university
reform programs is youth employability and openness to the labor market.
They further add, nowadays, the professional integration of young graduates is conditioned to a series of
pedagogical changes at the teaching level. In other words, it is about moving from a form of teaching that focuses
on knowledge solely, to a form of teaching that aims to develop professional skills in a university training program
that should be in line with the labor market needs.
Unemployment of university graduates is still a big thorn in the government’s side. The government
mandates are similar in this area. Unemployment rates are highest among young people aged 15 to 24 years
according to the HCP. These figures are alarming and raise questions about the students’ level of qualification in
Morocco. The public authorities are struggling to solve the equation of adapting university training to the needs of
the job market, despite the measures taken in recent years. The university is still unable to meet this challenge and
is still labeled an “unemployment factory”.
Employability of graduates from public universities remains very low. The Department of National
Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research considers that “The university is meant
to keep pace with the job market by ensuring the quality of training”, (International meeting on The University
and Employability (2018)). In fact, the problem of unemployment cannot be exclusively related to the higher
education system, it is also very linked to the economic growth and the capacity of the productive system to create
wealth and employment Therefore, it is important to improve the pedagogy and cross-curricular skills to enable
students to redirect their choices. Hence the importance of a unified vision integrating both the university and
vocational training.
The ministerial 2017/2022 action plan takes into consideration the recommendations of the 2015/2030
strategic vision of the Higher Council of Education, Training and Scientific Research to improve the integration
of graduates into the labor market and adapt the supply of university training to the needs of the private sector
through a number of measures. These include, among others, the development of partnerships with economic
actors and relevant organizations, as well as the strengthening of the process of open-access University. In addition
to this, new branches will be created and professional development centers will be generalized in all universities.
The objective is to enable the university to support students to develop their personal and professional projects and
strengthen their skills.

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The action plan provides measures to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship and self- employment among
students through the promotion of their initiatives in this area. It also aims to strengthen coordination between
stakeholders and partners in the area of monitoring the integration of graduates into the job market.
It is also worth noting that there should be an institutionalization of cooperative relationships between the
university, vocational training and research institutions.
Recommendations for schools and deans: Encourage the creativity in teachers and students, and provide
them the means in terms of with a view to revising the university curricula and programs and adapting them to
the variety of vocational training on offer. The change of teaching in the various Moroccan universities is
necessary. In this regard, the strategic vision emphasizes the need to develop a clear vision of the network of
Moroccan universities through the National Charter of Higher Education, which encompasses all types of
institutions. For those with open access, this vision should be based on diversifying institutional models, adjusting
admission criteria, and increasing intake capacity. Policy makers must implement a relevant reform of higher
education by associating it with vocational training in order to build a quality offer to young students and facilitate
their integration into the labor market.
The knowledge acquired by students during their university training is no longer only about the developed
knowledge, but also about what they will be able to do with it later, once they have completed their studies, in
complex and varied professional situations. (El Aida, 2022)
In their report, François T. and Livio R.S. (2009), for the OECD entitled: “Proposing measures to promote
the education of creative and collaborative knowledge- builders”, they highlight the creative and self-teaching
skills that should be promoted in the different levels of education. Two recommendations are addressed:
time, administrative help and space to develop creative programs in which students can work on
individual and collective projects. If these programs cannot be open to all initially, selection to enter them should
be based on students' motivation to take initiative and will to interact with creative students and teachers.
Recommendations for universities: Encourage interdisciplinary approaches and the creation of academic
programs that can allow students to launch projects and to develop their creativity. Create 'creative spaces'
dedicated to the development of student projects open 24/7/365. These spaces should be organized as incubators
for ideas and creative talents. François T. and Livio R.S. (2009)
This leads to a new vision of competency development at the university, which has the orientation to
break away from the old disciplinary logic organized in programs. As a result, higher education is no longer
perceived solely in terms of programs and disciplines, it has become essential to focus on the skills that these
programs aim to develop in students and young graduates, in harmony with the needs of the labor market for which
these studies are intended. ((Fallows and Steven, (2000); François T. and Livio R. S., (2009); Ouhejjou and El
Boujnouni (2013)).
 Employers’ Perception on Employability
According to Beebe (1996), the greatest challenge that faces employers nowadays is to implement soft
skills in this digital era and let the employees bring their creations into the workplace. In the same regard, Matsouka
and Mihail (2016) explain what is more challenging is to gather higher education, training institutions and
employers all together to equip students with global skills which can be utilized in any country. The authors studied
the perceptions of employers and university faculty of human resources development (HRD) and management on
employability for entry-level graduate jobs in Europe, Morocco and the United States. Their findings show that,

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in the three contexts, there is a clear convergence between the views of graduates and employers only in relation
to the academic qualifications the graduates possess. Important differences appear between the employers and
graduates in terms of the importance of skills as well as graduates ‘competencies with a large deviation especially
relating to emotional intelligence, professionalism and leadership skills, which graduates consider they have
acquired in university while employers contend the opposite. Maxwell et al. (2010) notes that companies alongside
employers can guide universities towards the implementation and teaching of soft skills that they require. Yet, as
the labor market needs keep changing, skills development should not be exclusively guided by employers because
they do not focus on the long-term training needs.
In another study by Mourshed et al. (2012), the researchers conducted a survey on employability skills
that targeted 2600 employers, 5300 students and 700 educational institutions in France, Germany, Greece, Italy,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. They concluded that about one-third of the companies
experience recruitment issues mainly because of a lack at the level of skills and training among job seekers.
In the Moroccan context, El Mansour & Dean. (2016) Ait Tejan & Sabil (2019) research show that
employers highly urge universities to create curricula answering the needs of the Moroccan job market. This would
undoubtedly prepare the graduates’ (future employees) for their professional integration into the job market.
Research also reveals that graduates are in great need of advisory centers for better guidance (as it is the case for
English major’ graduates).
These findings are in line with the results emphasized by El Aida (2022) revealing that neither stream
background, nor specialty, nor linguistic competencies affect the employers’ decisions for hiring. In addition to
that, employers, in both private and public sectors require a set of soft skills such as computer skills, public
speaking, math skills, foreign languages, etc. In the Moroccan context, such ascertainments have been clearly
stated by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI in last August’s Speech. Embracing vocational training is an
important key to guarantee a better adequacy between the job market needs and the job seekers’ competences.
Embracing vocational training would offer more opportunities and facilitate future employees’ professional
integration.
In the light of the literature on employers’ perception of employability, it is urgent to narrow down the
gap between the graduates’ abilities, the requirements of the employers and the labor market needs. The
corporation among these agents is highly recommended. (Maxwell et al. (2010) Mourshed et al. (2012) Matsouka
and Mihail (2016) El Mansour & Dean. (2016), Ait Tejan & Sabil (2019)) El Aida & Sabil (2022)).
 Graduates’ Perception on Employability
In the UK, several researchers have concluded that it is the role of higher education to equip students with
appropriate employability skills to access the workforce. A study conducted by Wharton & Horrocks (2015), aimed
to investigate students’ perception of employability skills and how they are included within their modules. To do
so, focus-groups interviews lasting 60 minutes took place with students belonging to three subject disciplines
namely: sport, food and biosciences. 64 students representing each subject discipline were interviewed. According
to Warthon et al. (2015), the study was meant to investigate both academics’ and students’ perceptions on
employability skills within the designed curricula. Findings reveal that students still do not have a clear
understanding of what employability means. Students approved that a number of employability skills were
developed, but not extensively in academic courses such as lectures, reports and essays evaluations (Ball (1993);
Glover et al. (2002); Wingate (2006)). Activities requiring the use of tutorials, presentations, and other practical

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activities are considered the main area where employability skills were developed. The findings have generated
three questions which should be for future research, as follows:

• Do we need to produce more focused activities to deliver employability skills or better

relate existing activities to employability?

• How can we improve student awareness of existing support and opportunities?

• How do we support identified needs with finite resources?

The findings of this study demonstrate how important it is to investigate students’ perceptions of
employability. This study helps in better understanding that there is a gap to bridge between what is delivered from
academics and how it is perceived by students. Students’ perceptions of employability skills within their modules
will pave the way for academics to better understand how such skills are developed by students.
In the context of India, it is believed that the teaching and assessment of employability skills will help in
increasing its chances to compete in the world economy. Mahajan Prashant & Golahit Suresh (2017) examined the
perceptions of the institutes and students regarding employability skills. Their objective was to investigate the
employability skills provided by the institutes of Technical Education (TE) affiliated to North Maharashtra
University; and how they are perceived by students. Qualitative research was conducted through a structured
questionnaire. It was sent by email to students belonging to the institutes of Technical Education (TE). About 664
students answered the questionnaire from technical institutes in different disciplines. Their findings reveal that the
institutes services are oriented to develop employability skills like hard-working ability, technical skills, stress
handling ability, soft skills, confidence level and team development. Students have shown great interest in the
developing of these skills, yet a gap in students’ perceptions when accessing employability skills is highlighted.
Equipping higher education students with a set of employability skills is of a tremendous importance to
their employability, employers and for the benefit of their country. The implementation of employability skills
within the curricula of higher education institutes can boost students’ employment prospects. In the study, it is
stressed that all potential students belonging to different disciplines should be taught employability skills and not
only to those enrolled in technical education institutes. It should also be noted that students themselves need to be
aware of the employability skills they are developing in their modules; and show their capabilities to use them
effectively when accessing the job market. It is highly recommended that schools and universities curricula should
always open room for an evaluation of the employability skills taught so they would be in accordance with the job
market demand; to uprise students’ prospects of employment.
Within a context of high unemployment, it has become necessary to understand the factors and
perceptions which affect graduates’ difficulty to integrate the workforce. A study (Harry, T., Chinyamurindi, W.
T., & Mjoli, T. (2018)) was conducted in a rural university in South Africa to explore final-year students’
perceptions of factors impacting their employability. A qualitative approach using exploratory research was
implemented to investigate the students’ perceptions of employability. 30 final year students were interviewed.
The findings of the study suggest that there are six major factors influencing students’ employability, namely: poor
socio-economic status, a poor educational system, curriculum-development issues, the choice of higher education
institution and social connections where the students belong to. Harry et al. (2018) think that the identification of
these factors will help careers counsellors better understand their future employees’ perceptions of employability
and accordingly establish better guidance services. (p.8) Harry el al. (2018) asseverate that it is important for

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disadvantaged universities to consider re-designing their curriculum to increase students’ employability; though it
may not lead to employment, but would definitely increase their prospects. (Musitha & Mafukata, 2018; Van der
Westhuizen et al., 2017). Other implications have been highlighted such as revisiting the educational system
policies with the regulations of the job market to ensure that their objectives are aligned. By so doing, this would
systematically improve how students perceive the job market.A recent study (2020) on assessing learners’
perceptions of graduate employability was conducted by Gokul Thirunavukarasu, Siva Chandrasekaran, Varsha
Subhash Betageri and John Long at Deakin University. An online survey was piloted to undergraduate students
belonging to an engineering discipline. The survey objective was to underline the gap existing between students’
perceptions of employability with their learning outcomes of courses that are meant to enhance their employability
skills. About 52 students volunteered to participate in the survey. The results demonstrate that a gap exists between
academia and industry. There is a call for collaboration of both parties to develop a curriculum from academia to
cater for the needs of industry. The study played a vital role in bridging the gap that exists within the current
system, and highlights the significant benefits associated with the collaboration between the industry and
academics. It will help in gaining increased access to students to explore their future employability.
An understanding of employability issues, from the perceptions of university students or graduates, will
provide policy makers, career guidance specialists and employers with a better view on how employability is
perceived by and communicated to students. Calls have been made for studying students’ perceptions of
employability (see for example: Kaliika, (2011); Maharaj, (2015)) and ((Greco, 2016)). We have clearly seen that
investigating graduates’ employability has become a major concern for many researchers in different countries.
As for Morocco, to the best of my knowledge, little research has been conducted regarding graduates’
employability. Having had the chance to work on a research paper that explored the reasons affecting graduates’
choice to major in English studies. The study helped me come across some very important findings which paved
the way for expanding my doctoral research to other departments; and to particularly study the perceptions of
university students and graduates; and see how they perceive employability; how do they prepare for integrating
job market and do they have enough guidance regarding the requirements of the job market.
El Aida (2022) aimed at examining the factors that impact students’ choice of English Studies as their
college major. Many variables were tested such as gender, age, university, degree, effect of media, employment
status, among other factors. The study explored the employment status and the job opportunities offered to
graduates majoring in English studies in the Moroccan job market. To this end, the bivariate analysis was adopted
to analyze quantitative data that was collected through an online survey among 444 students from different
universities in Morocco. The quantitative analysis was complemented by the results of a qualitative investigation,
based on an inductive approach, through three semi-structured interviews with recruiters from both private and
public sectors. The findings suggest that students choose English as a major because they love the language, they
are interested in it, and because they think it offers better job opportunities, to name a few. Another major finding
is that neither the stream background nor the degree affects students’ integration in the Moroccan job market, but
rather other competencies. (EL AIDA, 2022)
2.1.3. Challenges to graduates’ employability and public efforts
 Career Guidance/Development in Morocco
Unemployment rate is getting high in many countries. In Morocco, it is more likely that people with
degrees are either under-employed or unemployed. The unemployment rate among degree holders is 19.5% (HCP,

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2021). Unfortunately, this is the case for many Moroccan graduates. Job opportunities in the public sector are still
declining. The private sector opportunities are highly based on competition and require a specific set of
employability skills (Koundouno, 2018). Recruiters in both sectors complain about skills shortage among
university graduates. This raises the following question: Is University responsible for graduates’ unemployment.
The answer depends on from which perspective is the issue looked at. As discussed above (in the section dealing
with the various perceptions on employability) for instance, governmental institutions along with employers
believe that it is the university’s responsibility to design curricula that go along with the changing job market
needs.
Students are not aware of their individual skills and that becomes more challenging after graduation.
Recruiters complain about skills shortage among this category, especially in the private sector. Recruiters from
both sectors are not looking for degrees, but rather competencies. (El Aida & Sabil, (2022); FHI 360, (2018)).
Students’ concern today should be shifted towards the skills they already have and make them more employable.
(FHI 360, (2018)).
 Government and The Ministry of Education’ Strategies and Partnerships to Enhance
Graduates’ Employability
In the last 20 years, several attempts have been made by the Moroccan government and others in
partnership with international agencies; to lessen graduates’ unemployment through launching different
associations, programs and trainings. To name a few:
● Agence nationale de promotion de l’emploi et des compétences (ANAPEC) was created in
2000. Its mission lied in studying the labor market supply and matching it with employers’ job
offers in the private sector.
● In the same period, Morocco witnessed an increase in the number of private and international
agencies, like: Adecco, Manpower, Crit among others.
● The 2000-2004 Plan put the promotion of employment among its priorities to reduce
unemployment among graduates (see HCP, 2000)
● In 2012, the ex-Prime Minister refused to implement the government’s policy which aimed to
integrate the unemployed graduates into the job market; and put an end to it. He claimed that their
integration should be on the basis of merit and without holding competitions. (Maria et al.
(February, 2016))
● The last National Strategy Plan =2015-2030 puts among its main targeted issues youth
exclusion and considers them as an important asset for the country’s growth. It is explained as a
reflection of the skills mismatch between the educational system and the requirements of job
market. (See, for example, statements by the employment minister quoted in Ministère de la
Jeunesse (2014)).
Different programs such as Istiabe and Moubadara were launched. Later on, a new strategy that
emphasizes self-employment was placed as a national priority on the public agenda under the name of ‘Stratégie
nationale de promotion de la très petite entreprise 2013-2017’.
World Bank in collaboration with the Haut Commissariat de Plan (2021) together with the Moroccan
authorities worked on a report, “Le secteur de l’emploi au Maroc: Recenser les obstacles à un marché du travail
inclusif.”, which is the result of the first phase of a program of employment studies. It is an employment diagnostic

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that analyzes data primarily from labor force surveys and uses surveys and new analytical methods to identify key
labor the main trends in the labor market.
The key challenges identified will serve as a starting point for further analysis and strategy development
in the analysis and strategy formulation in the next phase of the program.
1) Accelerate structural transformation to create more and better jobs in the highest productivity sectors;
2) promote formalization and improve the quality of jobs;
3) Increase women's participation in the labor market and facilitate women's access to higher quality jobs; and,
4) Support youth in their transition from education to the labor market and reduce the high rate of youth
unemployment.

3. Conclusion
Employability is a very important issue conditioning not only a country’s labor market and its
employment conditions; it is also an important factor that determines the country’s development rank.
This paper aimed to provide an understanding of employability in the context of the Moroccan job market
and to contrast different stakeholders’ perspectives on the subject. The results identified in old and recent literature
has unemployment rate is increasing especially among graduates.
The most salient results emphasized the fact that implementing employability skills within the curricula
of higher education institutes can boost future graduates’ employment prospects. It is also recommended that
students/undergraduates should develop their employability skills while following their undergraduate studies.
Universities’ curricula should update their evaluations of the employability skills taught so they would be in
accordance with the job market needs in order to upraise students’ prospects of employment.

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