Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Social and Solidarity Economy, Fatim-Zahra Ammor, has announced that the Ministry seeks to train 30,000 people in the handicrafts sector by 2030.
Speaking at the House of Representatives’ question time, Ammor said that 19,000 apprentices will be trained during the current year, adding the number of apprentices enrolled in handicraft centers increased from 12,000 in 2022 to 16,000 in 2023.
She added that “handicrafts are experiencing a revival due to the tourism dynamism and the strategy adopted to upgrade and transform the sector to enhance its competitiveness, as well as to develop offerings and marketing”.
Regarding the structuring and organization of the sector, the minister highlighted the launch of the National Handicrafts Registry (RNA) with 400,000 registered craftsmen and the publication of implementation texts for Law 50.17 concerning handicrafts activities, which has regulated 172 crafts.
Ammor pointed out that “the development of offerings and marketing revolves around five pillars, two of which focus on product protection and professional training.” She also mentioned the “Treasures of Moroccan Traditional Arts” program launched in partnership with UNESCO.
In 2023, the ministry focused only on six areas of handicrafts and provided training to 57 young individuals under master craftsmen. After the 2023 program’s success, it plans to increase the number of crafts to ten.