Built across 5,200 square meters of covered space, the Mohammed VI Vocational Training Center provides vocational training tailored to the needs of Mali’s labor market.
“First and foremost, I want to commend the excellent cooperation between the states of Mali and Morocco. This donation from His Majesty Mohammed VI is clear proof of the understanding and friendship between the two countries,” said Mamary Diarra, national director of tourism, who noted that “this is a center that will train young Malians right here in Bamako.”
He explained that “the center has classrooms, training restaurants and training hotels. This is a great acquisition for the Malian state.”
An overview of the Mohammed VI Vocational Training Center in Bamako, Mali. M. K. Diemba/Le360 Afrique. M. K. Diemba/Le360 Afrique
Once fully operational, the facility will accommodate nearly 1,000 trainees each year across 21 fields, including 12 programs dedicated to construction and public works and nine covering tourism, hospitality and catering.
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Mamadou Minkoro Traoré, president of Mali’s Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Crafts (APCMM), stressed the importance of having a vocational training center that gives the country the ability “to train our young people here because in the past, trainees had to buy plane tickets to go to Morocco for training. In addition to providing quality training, this institution will also save these students the cost of travel and accommodation.”
Trained in Morocco in haute couture and fashion design, Mamadou Traoré, founder of Balimaya, highlighted Mali’s need for skilled workers in sectors that are key to its development.
“The center has become operational at exactly the right time. I thank the Moroccan authorities for handing this center over to Mali, as it will allow young Malians to learn a trade instead of leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere. This institution will help combat youth unemployment,” he said.
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When the facility was handed over to the Malian authorities last July, Oumou Sall Seck, Mali’s minister of national entrepreneurship, employment and vocational training, stressed that the initiative addresses a strategic need for Mali in terms of skills development and strengthening human capital in sectors essential to the country’s economic and social development.
