The House of Councillors approved the bill by a majority vote, with 30 votes in favour and one abstention, prompting a visibly relieved reaction from Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri, who welcomed Parliament’s backing in a statement to Le360.
“This is a very important measure after more than 30 years during which the state supported only graduates,” he said.
Sekkouri noted that Morocco’s labor market includes “1 million people without diplomas who may be unemployed,” adding that the program will support them alongside apprenticeship training and other existing employment schemes.
He said the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC) has been entrusted with ensuring that employers hiring beneficiaries under the program receive support to help retain them.
The minister also stressed that the law includes safeguards to prevent misuse of the scheme. In the past, some companies relied on internship contracts instead of offering genuine employment opportunities.
Sekkouri further highlighted strong demand for workers across several sectors, including agriculture, construction, equipment, transport, and the restaurant industry.
The restaurant sector alone employs nearly 1 million people who, until now, had not benefited from any employment support scheme and had no connection with ANAPEC.
“That is why these people have now been included in this law,” he concluded.
