A Framework of Skills in the Food Industry to Better Meet Job Market Requirements

Abstract

In Morocco, a regulatory framework governs the design of vocational bachelor’s degree training program which the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research must validate for professional licenses. This ensures that the programs meet the quality criteria and educational standards set by the government. This research focuses on the design of a skills framework of bachelor’s degree in food industry that meets the needs of the job market and aligns with the Ministry's directives, by examining the generic and specific skills of academic programs in the food industry offered by Moroccan universities and vocational training institutions. We identified a catalog of generic and specific skills following an examination of the vocational education programs offered by various universities both domestically and abroad. Then, we subjected this list to evaluation and verification through a survey. The questionnaire asked the evaluators, which included teachers, lecturers, students, graduates, and employers, to rate the importance of each generic and specific skill. The results found through the survey validated the initial list of the generic skills inventory. According to our findings mastering the technologies of food processing, mastering food chemistry and food microbiology, mastering unit operations of food engineering, mastering quality control and management, knowing food legislation and regulations, and mastering production management basics are all specific skills essential for achieving mastery in the field of food production.