New training academy launched to improve driving and road safety in Morocco
Road accidents remain a major challenge to Morocco’s human, social and economic development, causing more than 3,000 fatalities per year.
As Morocco continues to strengthen its position as a regional road transport hub, there is a rapidly growing need for certified truck drivers in this sector.
In support of the Government of Morocco’s efforts towards improving road safety, a new Academy for Safe Truck Driving operating under the French acronym ACCES - Académie de Conduite de Camions En Sécurité has been inaugurated at the National Institute for Road Transport Professions Training in Casablanca.
The launch of the academy is part of a four-year project, which aims to train approximately 500 youth and professional drivers to operate various types of trucks and buses in a safe and fuel-efficient manner.
The ceremony was attended by project partners, notably Abdellatif El Bouch, Secretary General of Morocco’s State Secretariat in charge of vocational training; Loubna Tricha, Managing Director of the Office of Vocational Training and Work Promotion (OFPPT); and Dana Mansuri, Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Morocco. Johan Reiman, CSR Project Manager at the Volvo Group and Virpi Stucki, Industrial Development Officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) were also in attendance.
By providing state-of-the-art equipment, a specialized training curriculum, and trainers benefitting from technical and pedagogical upgrades, this new Academy will support youth employability within the rapidly expanding trucking sector, whilst helping to mitigate the road transport industry’s environmental impact.
Loubna Tricha, OFPPT Managing Director, reaffirmed her Office’s commitment to supporting all public and private initiatives aiming at improving youth employability, as well as professional drivers’ safe driving skills. “This public-private partnership represents a new opportunity to put the expertise of our institution at the service of a great national cause, namely road safety.”
Combining theoretical and practical modules, the Academy’s training programme will integrate soft skills, such as communication and customer service skills, as well as on-the-road driving experience. In addition, beneficiaries will have access to career guidance and referral services in order to facilitate their professional development and integration.
“This training will reduce the number of road accidents in Morocco, and Volvo is proud to support the government of Morocco in making Moroccan roads safer,” said Johan Reiman, CSR Project Manager at the Volvo Group. “By training local manpower, we will also be able to contribute to sustainable growth in the countries in which Volvo Group operates.”
During her speech, USAID Morocco Mission Director, Dana Mansuri, emphasized the importance of engaging both the public and private sectors to create solutions to pressing challenges, such as road safety and youth employability. “I am happy to witness once again the fruitful union of the Moroccan government’s and the private sector’s efforts. They do not hesitate to commit, to innovate and to combine their resources and expertise, in order to support youth facing socio-economic challenges.”
The ACCES project is the result of a public-private development partnership between the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, USAID, Volvo Group, and UNIDO. It marks all four partners’ second partnership together in Morocco, which aims to help young people to successfully enter the workforce.
The first partnership of this kind resulted in the establishment of the Training Academy for Heavy Duty Industry Equipment and Commercial Vehicles (AGEVEC) within the Mohammed VI Training School in the Construction and Public Works Professions, in Settat.
