Academy for Educational Development

Morocco has made impressive economic and social strides in recent years. The new Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. represents an important opportunity to consolidate this progress. But overall economic expansion and job creation are jeopardized by a rapidly growing and inadequately prepared labor force. In order to be competitive in the global economy, Morocco must improve the quality of its workforce and ensure the relevance of workers’ skills to the evolving demands of business and industry. Education is key to this process.

The ALEF project will contribute to the ongoing efforts of Morocco to strengthen the quality of its workforce by providing young people with skills that respond to the needs of the changing marketplace. ALEF will work collaboratively with public and private partners to strengthen the relevance of basic education and vocational training, thereby increasing job opportunities. The project will at the same time, build the capacity of educational institutions to provide job counseling and placement services. Information and communication technologies will be integrated into all project activities to strengthen the capacities of partners, as well as provide students with important skills for today’s marketplace. Throughout the project, special attention will be given to assuring gender equity and responding to the specific needs of young women in target communities and schools.