Morocco Opens $40M Training Campus for 3,000 Students

More than 1,550 young people just walked through the doors of Morocco's newest vocational training campus, ready to learn skills that match real job opportunities waiting in their community.

The City of Trades and Skills in Marrakech-Safi officially opened this year with a $40 million investment split between construction and cutting-edge equipment. It's the ninth campus completed under Morocco's national program to connect young people with careers, following the November opening of a similar facility in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab.

This isn't your typical classroom setup. Students learn by doing, working in spaces designed to feel exactly like real companies and businesses.

The campus can serve up to 3,000 students across 75 different training programs grouped into eight career fields. Before designing the courses, planners talked directly with local businesses and employers to find out what skills they actually needed, then built the curriculum around those answers.

In the digital innovation hub, students bring ideas to life in an interactive factory space focused on tech transformation. Tourism students run an actual training hotel and restaurant, handling real operations from check-in to meal service.

Healthcare trainees work in a simulated medical unit. Industrial students operate a full training factory with authentic workflows and cross-department projects.

The campus also includes a virtual company where business students practice emerging roles, plus specialized spaces for childcare training, crafts, and graphic design.

The Ripple Effect

This opening strengthens vocational training across the entire Marrakech-Safi region. The area now offers over 33,000 training spots across 23 establishments, including six partner centers and five programs helping formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives.

Students can choose from 77 diploma programs and dozens of qualifying courses across tourism, healthcare, construction, digital technology, logistics, and creative industries. Training levels range from basic qualifications all the way up to specialized technician roles.

By matching education directly to local employer needs, Morocco is creating a clear path from classroom to career for thousands of young people who might otherwise struggle to find their place in the workforce.

The doors are open, the equipment is ready, and 1,550 students are already learning the skills their community needs most.