Abstract
The focus of this study is to examine the integration of Moroccan graduates into the job market and identify the gaps between higher education and the demands of the labor market. The research methodology was based on both analysis of documents and previous studies, as well as a review of international experiences. The authors followed a deductive analytical approach that begins with a state-of-the-art view on the subject, followed by an evaluation of the situation of young graduates in Morocco, and then a critical analysis conducted by the authors. This allowed the authors to conclude that the components of the higher education cycle do not present the same degree of insertion efficiency since the training of some institutions does not lead to a quick, professional integration.
TopIntroduction
In human capital theory, skills increase and enhance labor productivity. Thus, individuals with higher levels of education and qualification are likelier to be employed (Zella, 2010). The defining role of education in the economic and social development process of a nation has been underlined by several researchers (Barro & Lee, 2013). As such, the fast growth of higher education in many countries has led to significant effects on the labor market.
In the era of the information and knowledge economy, the creation of wealth within companies is based more on intangible assets than physical ones. In this context, human capital is called upon to fulfill an increasingly crucial role in holding a competitive advantage.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the level of education attained by the individuals in an economy is a major determinant of its success on the global stage, and therefore of its citizens’ standard of living. On the one hand, developed nations are now searching for opportunities to become ” pools ” of highly skilled labor, thus exploiting their competitive advantages over the abundant, cheap and generally poorly educated labor force of developing countries. On the other side, it is now known that human capital accumulation contributes with the same impact as much as physical capital accumulation to long-run economic growth.
Higher education plays a crucial role in Morocco's development as it educates over one million young people for entry into the job market. However, it is primarily college graduates who are facing challenges in securing employment and integrating into the labor market. This is reflected in the National Employment Survey (Haut Commissariat au Plan)1, which highlights the difficulties faced by young graduates in finding suitable employment. Graduates have the most significant unemployment rates in Morocco.
Obtaining a higher degree is becoming a hindrance to finding employment, especially among young graduates. According to Hanchane & Aoufi (2011), cited by Idlhadj & Tadjousti (2020), 71% of middle and high-level graduates are unemployed, making it the leading cause of unemployment for this group.
It begins by examining a survey conducted by the relevant authority and ends with a discussion of the findings and identified gaps. The authors aim to use this analysis to gain insights into the integration of graduates into the job market.
This is the context in which our study is situated. Our research question stems from this issue: To what extent does higher education open the way to the labor market for Moroccan graduates?
The methodology of our work is based on research and documentary analysis through the capitalization on several studies, mainly based on the last report published by The Higher Council of Education, Training and Scientific Research and relying on the conclusions drawn from the literature review and the international experience.
The authors will first provide a theoretical and empirical overview before presenting the status of college graduates in 2018, 48 months after their graduation. Finally, the researchers will conduct a critical analysis of the challenges and offer potential solutions to improve the integration of graduates into the labor market in Morocco.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Human Capital: Human capital is all the accumulated knowledge, aptitudes, experiments, talents, and qualities of a single person, a group of people, an organization, or a group of bodies, and which determine in part their capacity to work or produce for themselves or for others
Higher-Education: Higher education covers general, vocational and professional education that calls for training at a level higher than or equal to the baccalaureate or its equivalent.
Education: Education is the development of learning, the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, habits and personal development. Originally, it was a transmission of cultural inheritance from one generation to the next. Nowadays, educational objectives include more and more new ideas such as liberation of learners, critical thinking about the information presented, skills needed for modern society, empathy and complex professional skills.
Graduate: a person who has completed a cycle of study or training, in particularly, an individual who has attained an undergraduate degree or a first university degree.
Non University Institutions: These are specialized higher education establishments under the administrative and financial supervision of technical ministries and under the pedagogical authority of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training. they make a remarkable contribution to the national effort to train the human skills needed to support the country's major structural projects and sectoral development programs.
The Higher Council of Education, Training and Scientific Research: The Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research is an independent consultative body responsible for issuing its opinion on all public policies and questions of national concern in education, training and scientific research. As an independent consultative body for good governance, sustainable development and participatory democracy, the Council is expected to provide a melting pot for strategic reflection on education. It also has the role of informing decision-makers, stakeholders and public opinion, by means of methodical and rigorous quantitative and qualitative evaluations, on the various aspects of the education, training and scientific research system.
Labor Market: It refers to a theoretical meeting place for job offers and demands. Two parties are indissociable in the labor market: employers and employees. The first are the source of supply, the second of demand. It is on this labor market that professional activity is regulated in return for remuneration.