Promotion of inclusive employment and the green economy in Chefchaouen
As part of the REFGOLMED project (“Strengthening the role of local authorities in the Mediterranean in favor of good governance and social cohesion”), financed by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation and led by MedCities, the municipality of Chefchaouen promotes the employability of the youth and the green transition of its touristic, handcrafts and agro-food sector.
Tags: employment, green jobs, economic development, Morocco
Challenges addressed
The REFGOLMED project in Chefchaouen was born from a diagnosis made by the city council in regards to the promotion of the local economy with a green and socially inclusive vision. The city showed special interest from the beginning in working with young people and, on the other hand, accompanying the local tourism, craft and agri-food sector in its commitment to solutions that reduce the ecological footprint and promote social responsibility.
Main objectives
The project promotes a better access to social and economic opportunities in sustainable and equitable conditions, strengthening the role of the municipality in the promotion of green and socially inclusive jobs in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable tourism.
Specific objectives
- Raise citizens’ awareness, specially of the youth, about the key drivers and solutions for innovation and sustainability and to foster the compromise of the local economic agents and entrepreneurs of the city touristic sector, including artisanal and agro-food producers.
- Promote access to the labour market for vulnerable groups, specially the youth, through capacity building programs and empowering initiatives as to make them full part and contributors to the local economy.
- Promote the exchange of knowledge with other entities and municipalities active in the sustainable economy promotion with the involvement of the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation.
Facts
Project type Technical Assistance
Partnership
MedCities
Municipality of Chefchaouen
Funding
Catalan Agency for Development and Cooperation
Start date January – May 2021
Project description
In strong and close collaboration with the Chefchaouen City Council, the REFGOLMED project has conducted three training modules targeting local tourism operators, restaurateurs, hand-crafts and artisans, local agro-food cooperatives, among others, to raise their awareness about the environmental impacts of their activities, and to strengthen their capacities to deliver more quality, innovative, socially-responsible and environmental-neutral services. Moreover, a specific training was conducted targeting young students and trainers of Electricity of the Chefchaouen Center for Occupational Training about renewable energy production and management. The experimentation with the installation of a solar panel system on the roof of the city council Eco Center has proved useful for the students to understand how this technology works.
As a final activity, the city council of Chefchaouen has exchanged with the municipalities of Olot, Saldes and the development agency of El Berguedà (the three of them in Catalonia) about sustainable tourism strategies through an online exchange initiative which took place in May 2021. The topics of interest of this exchange concern the promotion of the environmental responsibility of the sector, the role of municipalities in the creation and implementation of local strategies, awareness and visibility programs, among others.
Impact and results
- The training and awareness of 30 young students on renewable energy and installation of photovoltaic energy systems, which aroused much interest, by the cooperatives CODIBER, Chefchaouen, and AZIMUT, based in Barcelona.
- The installation by a cooperative of electricians in the city of a photovoltaic energy system in the Eco Center, a space for training and awareness on ecology managed by the commune urbaine where training visits will continue.
- The training and awareness of 30 companies and entities in the tourism, craft and agri-food sector in the hands of experts specializing in energy efficiency, social innovation and cooperativism, and e-commerce strategies.
- Training and awareness of the city council staff on the promotion of local cooperatives and strategies to foster employment for young people in the city.
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