Morocco, in its pursuit of a digital transition program, recognizes the critical need for a digitally skilled workforce. The country has strategically partnered with experienced partners to address this challenge.

Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform on Tuesday announced a program contract with Maroc Numeric Cluster (MNC), a public-private entity, to enhance digital innovation. The contract was signed by Ghita Mezzour, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, and Mehdi Kettani, President of MNC.

The program aims to bolster digital innovation by nurturing talent and aiding startups and SMEs. “This contract reflects the desire of both parties to strengthen the digital innovation ecosystem through several lines of action, including training and integration of talent, content production, dissemination of the culture of innovation, collaboration, and digital entrepreneurship, and support for the emergence of digital innovation projects in various economic sectors,” the Ministry stated.

Under this contract, MNC will undertake a pivotal role in training youth in ICT skills to ease their professional integration. The pilot phase targets 1,000 beneficiaries, with 734 already graduated and an anticipated integration rate of 72%.

The partnership will also promote startups via events, training, and collaboration with incubators, accelerators, professional associations, and partnerships. Regular monitoring, analysis, and studies will be conducted to identify trends and invigorate the sector.

These initiatives are part of Morocco’s new digital strategy, “Maroc Digital 2030”, succeeding the previous strategy that aimed to position Morocco as a leading digital and technology hub in Africa by 2025. The new strategy underscores the importance of talented, creative youth.

Samira Njoya