MedCities secretariat traveled to M’Saken and Chefchaouen this month to finalise the diagnosis phase of the EMPLOIMed project, which seeks to establish a support service for employability and entrepreneurship in M’Saken and Chefchaouen, offering spaces for co-working, information, training opportunities and support for young people.

A series of meetings and field visits were held in M’Saken, Tunisia on the 9th March, and in Chefchaouen, Morocco, the 23^rd March. In particular, it was the occasion to present the results of the diagnosis phase and discuss with relevant local stakeholders the design of the future support services for young people.

Three different type of surveys have been developed in order to assess the needs of the territories concerning youth employability and entrepreneurship. The surveys targeted the youth population, the companies and other key stakeholders of the territory. The results of these surveys were presented to local relevant stakeholders, like youth associations and employment services, and the municipalities’ teams. The final aim of these meetings was to shape and contribute to the development of the guide, which will include a first proposal of services and resources needed for the establishment of the support service.

Once the support service is established, the EMPLOIMed project, financed by the Catalan Agency for Cooperation to the Development, also includes the implementation of the following activities:

-To provide training in soft skills for young people and promote the co-working space among young people.

– To implement a specific professional training targeting youth in the economic sectors offering more job opportunities in M’Saken and Chefchaouen.

-To organise a job fair in each territory bringing together local businesses and young unemployed people.