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Morocco: Training Centre for Arts Professions Empowers Young People in Fez
An average of 600 to 650 disadvantaged young people benefit annually from structured training and supervision at the Training and Qualification Centre for Arts Trades in Fez, Morocco. The centre equips participants with practical skills in traditional crafts such as wood turning, leather tanning, jewellery making, saddlery, weaving, pottery, and several other artisanal trades, helping them become economically productive members of society.
According to the centre’s Director, Aboujaafar Ahmed, the institution operates as a foundation chaired by the King of Morocco, with a core mission of empowering young people living in precarious conditions.
“The essential purpose of this centre is to support young people in difficulty, provide them with employable skills, and help them improve their social and economic situation after training,” Ahmed explained.
Beyond technical instruction, the centre collaborates with microcredit organisations, enabling graduates to launch small businesses and become self-employed. This approach not only tackles youth unemployment but also contributes to the preservation of traditional Moroccan crafts, many of which are at risk of disappearing.
The training model is distinctive. “We use an apprenticeship-based method where 80 per cent of the training is practical,” Ahmed said. “The artisans themselves conduct the training. We brought them into the centre and provided fully equipped workshops where they both train and produce.”
Inaugurated in 2009, the Fez-based centre was a pioneering initiative in Morocco. “At the time, this kind of specialised arts and crafts training centre did not exist in the country,” Ahmed noted, describing it as a first of its kind.
Today, the centre stands as a model for combining skills development, cultural preservation, and social inclusion, offering renewed hope to hundreds of young Moroccans each year.
