Continuing training is one of those rights that many employees know theoretically without ever having really benefited from it. In Morocco, as in most countries with emerging economies, the continuing professional training system has long benefited employees who are already well trained, with ascending profiles and in visible positions - to the detriment of older profiles, less mobile or in less "strategic" functions in the eyes of employers. Senior employees, paradoxically, are among the least well served by a system that they have nevertheless helped to finance for decades via the Professional Training Tax.
This imbalance is in the process of being corrected, under the combined effect of several forces: the legislative reforms undertaken between 2024 and 2026, companies' awareness of the aging of their workforce, and the economic need to maintain the productivity of employees who will stay in their jobs longer with longer careers. In 2026, the rights of senior employees to continuing training are better defined, better financed and more operational than they have ever been in Morocco. You still need to know them to be able to use them.
The legal framework for continuing education in Morocco in 2026
Continuing professional training is regulated in Morocco by several texts, the basis of which is the 2006 decree relating to continuing professional training in the private sector, substantially modified by the provisions introduced within the framework of law 51.25. The most significant revision concerns the training obligation weighing on companies and the associated financing mechanisms.
Any company employing at least five employees is legally required to devote a fraction of its payroll to training its staff. This obligation is materialized by the payment of the Professional Training Tax, set at 1.6% of the gross payroll. Part of this tax is redistributed by the OFPPT in the form of training costs for employees of contributing companies. Companies can request reimbursement of their training expenses via agreement mechanisms with the OFPPT or with the Branch Professional Training Offices.
The novelty introduced by the 2025-2026 texts is twofold. On the one hand, the criteria for redistributing TFP funds now include an obligation to take employees over 45 into account in company training plans. Companies that exclusively focus their training investments on young profiles or those with high promotion potential may be subject to penalties or lose their eligibility for reimbursements. On the other hand, the ceiling for covering training for seniors is raised, recognizing that the training necessary to upgrade experienced profiles may have higher costs than basic training.
The individual rights of senior employees to training
Training Leave, provided for by the Moroccan Labor Code, allows any employee with at least two years of seniority in the company to follow training of their choice for a specific period, with (partial) maintenance of their remuneration. For senior employees, this right is of particular importance: it allows them to undertake a process of upskilling or retraining without losing their job and with continuity of income.
In practice, this right is rarely exercised spontaneously by senior employees, for several reasons: lack of knowledge of the system, fear of the employer's reaction, uncertainty about the training available and adapted to their profile. Employee associations and unions are starting to better inform their members about this right, but the road to massive appropriation remains long.
The Skills Assessment, gradually introduced into the Moroccan legal framework, is another tool available to senior employees. It allows an employee to take stock of their skills, abilities and professional motivations, with the help of a qualified professional, with a view to defining a professional project or a training project. The skills assessment can be requested by the employee as part of their training leave, or proposed by the employer as part of an age management process.
The Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE), made more accessible by law 51.25, is particularly relevant for senior employees. It allows you to obtain all or part of a diploma or professional certification on the basis of accumulated experience, without repeating a complete course. For a 50-year-old employee who has been working in a profession for twenty years without ever having formalized their skills in a diploma, the VAE is a path towards official recognition which can transform their value on the job market.
Company training plans: how to assert your rights
In companies of significant size, investments in training are planned annually in a Training Plan. This document, developed by HR in conjunction with managers, defines priority training for the following financial year. Senior employees have the right to be consulted on their training needs during annual professional reviews — a right which is unfortunately not always exercised in a substantial manner.
To assert their rights to training in this context, it is in the senior employee's interest to adopt a proactive approach. Rather than waiting for HR to offer training, expressing your needs in a reasoned manner during professional interviews, by explicitly linking the requested training to the company's objectives, significantly increases the chances of obtaining support. A production manager who requests training in predictive maintenance by explaining how this new skill will reduce maintenance costs in his workshop presents an infinitely more convincing case than a simple generic request for “continuing training”.
Staff representatives — union delegates, members of the works council — also play a role in defending the right to training of senior employees. In companies where these bodies are active, they can monitor the distribution of training investments and challenge management on possible imbalances to the detriment of older profiles.
The most suitable training courses for senior employees in 2026
Identifying the most useful training for a senior employee requires starting from an honest diagnosis of their situation and their objectives. Several categories of training deserve particular attention.
Digital skills are probably the area of most universal and urgent need. Not because seniors are digitally incompetent – many use sophisticated tools on a daily basis – but because tools evolve quickly and staying up to date requires continuous investment. Training in generative AI tools in their professional field, collaboration platforms and data analysis tools are particularly relevant for experienced employees who wish to maintain their productivity and relevance.
Sectoral professional certifications make it possible to formalize and promote skills acquired through experience. A senior employee who has worked in logistics for fifteen years without having recognized certification can, via a short training course preparing for international certification, transform implicit expertise into explicit and portable qualification. This portability is crucial if the situation ever leads him to look for a new job.
Management and transmission skills are often neglected in training plans for seniors, even though they correspond to the natural evolution of their role. Training in mentoring, team coaching, the facilitation of organizational learning or intergenerational management is directly useful for seniors who, in their second part of their career, are increasingly focused on helping others grow rather than operating themselves.
Finance your training when the company doesn't do it
When the company does not support the training of a senior employee for budgetary reasons or lack of vision, financing alternatives exist.
TFP's pooled funds, accessible directly by employees under certain conditions, allow partial or total coverage of approved training. Access methods vary depending on the sector of activity and the operator concerned. The OFPPT has a service dedicated to employees who wish to find out about funded training available for their sector.
Online training, the cost of which has fallen considerably in recent years with the proliferation of digital training platforms, provides access to quality content for a modest investment. Platforms offering certified training in recognized professional fields — project management, cybersecurity, data analysis, agile management — are accessible at prices that allow reasonable self-financing.
Continuing education is not a luxury reserved for early careers. It is an investment that pays off at any age, provided you choose the right training, explicitly link it to your professional objectives and systematically promote the benefits to your employer. In 2026, the rights are there, the financing is accessible, and the Moroccan labor market rewards senior profiles who remain at the forefront of their skills.
