The British Council Launches a “Taqaddam” Project in Morocco

In partnership with the Secretary of State for Vocational Training, the British Council in Morocco organized an event entitled “Make it Happen” on employment opportunities for young people in the automotive sector in Morocco, on the occasion of the closing of the “Taqaddam” project at the Institute for Training in the Automotive Industry (IFMIA) in Casablanca.

The “Taqaddam” project was designed by the British Bank HSBC and the British Council. It relies much more on the development of human skills rather than on academic training, since teamwork, sensory intelligence and leadership are essential characteristics, whatever the nature of the environment in which the young people will be called upon to work.

The activities of the “Taqaddam” project aim to increase young people’s awareness of life skills and to promote them to others, including potential employers. In the final stage of the project, participants present what they have learnt, including solutions to a given challenge of a global or social nature that has an impact on their community.

The “Make it Happen” event is an opportunity for students to put into practice the life skills they have learned in workshops and training sessions, just as they will showcase their newly acquired skills and abilities by participating in a competition between their schools, as well as by presenting more than 40 projects to express their ideas and creations to make the world a better place. This will be an opportunity to celebrate their journey through the program and the overall development of their skills.

The “Taqaddam” project has been developed by British HSBC Bank Middle East in partnership with the British Council. Its content was designed by GOODALL. In the five years since its launch in the MENA region, 5400 students and 370 teachers from 250 schools in 10 MENA countries have participated.

In Morocco, more than 50 teacher-trainers have benefited from the program, along with 700 students from the Casablanca Institute for Training in the Automobile Industry. Workshops organized under the program covered a wide range of skills and life skills, including critical thinking, effective communication methods, self-confidence, planning and initiative-taking, etc. The program also provides training in the following areas: communication skills and the use of ICTs in the automotive industry.