Morocco signs deal for new YouCode Errachidia coding school
YouCode school targets talented school dropouts, aiming for 100 trainees a year
#Morocco #education - Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform has signed a partnership agreement to launch YouCode Errachidia, a coding school aimed at young people in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, including school dropouts with digital talent. The deal was struck on the fourth day of Rally AI Future Lab in Merzouga. Partners include Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Authority, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council, and Moroccan non-profit LEET INITIATIVE Association. The school will run a two-year programme for roughly 50 trainees per cohort, training around 100 young people a year, with priority given to applicants from disadvantaged areas.
SO WHAT? - Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition has significantly increased the priority of digital inclusion in artificial intelligence over the pat two years. The new YouCode agreement puts a building, a curriculum and an annual intake of 100 trainees in Errachidia in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, which is traditionally an agricultural area. The new initiative was announced at the Rally AI Future Lab, a national initiative organised by the Jazari Institute, which spearheads the government’s effort to drive AI adoption, education and innovation across the country.
KEY POINTS:
Digital Transition Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni signed a partnership agreement on day four of Rally AI Future Lab to establish YouCode Errachidia, a specialised programming and coding school in the Drâa-Tafilalet region.
Signatories to the YouCode agreement include Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Authority, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council and Moroccan association LEET INITIATIVE.
The new YouCode school will offer a two-year training programme, taking in around 50 trainees per cohort and 100 trainees annually once both levels are running.
The project specifically targets young people in the region, including those who dropped out of formal education but have digital skills or talent.
Selection will prioritise young people from disadvantaged areas during the initial intake phases.
The initiative is designed to improve employability in modern technology professions and supply qualified staff to meet demand from IT sector employers.
It feeds into Morocco’s Digital Morocco 2030 strategy, which aims to expand digital skills and training across future-facing professions.
The agreement was signed as part of Rally AI Future Lab, a national platform exploring AI and digital innovation, held in Merzouga from 16 to 20 June 2026.
ZOOM OUT - YouCode Errachidia is one element of a much bigger push to widen digital inclusions across Morocco. The new national AI strategy AI Made in Morocco was launched in January, targeting a 100 billion dirham ($10 billion) contribution to GDP and 50,000 AI-related jobs. Rally AI Future Lab itself opened on 16 June with 1,000 participants in Merzouga, building on the RamadanIA Hackathon, which reached all twelve regions and mobilised more than 700 participants earlier this year. The government is also rolling out a national network of Jazari Institute centres, each tasked with training, research, infrastructure and incubation.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Ministère de la Transition numérique et de la Réforme de l’administration
Read more about Morocco’s AI and digital initiatives:
Morocco launches Rally AI Future Lab (Middle East AI News)