Navigating the Education-to-Employment Gap in Morocco: A Qualitative Exploration of Graduate Trajectories and Insertion Processes

Résumé

Abstract

The study explores how Moroccan graduates move from university into work in a setting marked by rising graduate unemployment and a persistent gap between academic training and employers’ needs. Although public initiatives exist to support insertion, many graduates still face unstable and irregular career paths, shaped both by structural barriers and by growing expectations that individuals should manage their own employability. Using an exploratory qualitative design, the research is based on 15 semi-structured interviews that examine how institutional arrangements, personal tactics, and social networks influence access to employment. The interviews were coded in NVivo to identify recurring patterns related to coping practices, logics of action, and the mobilization of social capital. The results show that post-graduation pathways are often discontinuous, with periods of unemployment, precarious work, or shifts in career direction. They also underline the limited impact of institutional support schemes and the continued misalignment between university curricula and labor market requirements. Most importantly, successful entry into work depends heavily on the ability to activate social networks and adopt adaptive strategies, which in turn contributes to reproducing inequalities. Overall, the study brings together transition theory, employability, and social capital to shed light on labor market integration in Morocco. It highlights the need for more coherent public policies that strengthen skills development and reduce unequal access to employment opportunities.

Keywords: School-to-work transition, professional trajectories, employability, social capital