HIBAPRESS
The Office for Vocational Training and Employment Promotion officially launched the 2026-2027 training year yesterday, Monday, at the Vocational Training and Employment Promotion Cities in Casablanca-Settat.
This new training year is characterized by a total capacity of 424,000 pedagogical seats, the opening of 18 new institutions, and the launch of 193 new training programs, adapted to the evolution of professions and the needs of the labor market.
The launch ceremony was attended by the Director General of the Office, Loubna Tricha, representatives from the vocational training sector at the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills, as well as representatives of local authorities and professionals.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Tricha indicated that this training intake was marked, in its first phase, by the return of approximately 120,000 second-year trainees, who were welcomed by over 500 vocational training institutions across the Kingdom.
Ms. Tricha highlighted in a press statement that the 2026-2027 training year is characterized by an increase in the national offering to 424,000 pedagogical seats, covering 19 sectors and over 650 programs, in a context marked by a strong appeal for vocational training.
She also emphasized the renewal of the training offer, through the launch of more than 190 new programs aimed at keeping pace with future professions and meeting the competency needs generated by the Kingdom's various sectoral policies, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity, the video game industry, and the green economy.
Regarding the Vocational Training and Employment Promotion Cities program, the Director General explained that the current year will witness the completion of the generalization of this program through the opening of the remaining three cities before the end of the year, in the regions of Fez-Meknes, Drâa-Tafilalet, and Guelmim-Oued Noun, bringing the number of operational cities nationwide to 12.
On another note, she highlighted the model of the Vocational Training and Employment Promotion City in Casablanca-Settat, which has a capacity of over 5,200 trainees and offers 111 programs spread across nine professional poles, as well as immersive pedagogical platforms that simulate the business environment in sectors ranging from industry and agriculture to tourism, digitization, and artificial intelligence.
For the 2026-2027 training year, the Office will rely on a network of 513 institutions, strengthened by the opening of 18 new vocational training institutions. The Office's total training offering comprises 658 programs, including 342 diploma-awarding programs, 293 qualification programs, and 23 professional pathways, covering 19 training sectors.
This offering has been developed in alignment with the Kingdom's strategies and sectoral orientations, particularly the employment roadmap, the 2030 energy strategy, the national sustainable development strategy, and orientations related to industrial sovereignty, with the aim of anticipating competency needs and adapting training pathways to the new requirements of the labor market.
Supporting youth is also one of the priorities of this training year, as the Office for Vocational Training and Employment Promotion will continue to strengthen the vocational guidance system, which will reach 75 vocational guidance centers, with the creation of four new centers. Additionally, 13 more vocational guidance centers will be established during the 2026-2027 training year to expand the territorial coverage of this system.
Within the framework of the apprenticeship program, the Office intends to train 31,000 apprentices through vocational apprenticeships in professions within high-potential sectors, particularly electrical engineering, construction and public works, the automotive industry, tourism, hotels, and restaurants, textiles and clothing, refrigeration and thermal engineering, and mechanical engineering.
For this training year, approximately 120,000 second-year trainees joined the training institutions affiliated with the Office for Vocational Training and Employment Promotion across the Kingdom on Monday. First-year trainees, who benefit, in particular, from 146,637 seats in diploma-awarding training and 121,402 seats in qualification training, will join the training institutions on September 11.
