Bridging International Employability Gap in Morocco: Insights from Private Universities: Al Akhawayn University as a Case of Study

This study explores the role of graduate SHSS programs at Al Akhawayn University in enhancing student employability internationally, focusing on the impact of the Anglophone educational systems in private universities, taking Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco, as a case study. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, with feedback from alumni to evaluate the relevance of program content, gauge the effectiveness of English as the medium of instruction, and the alignment of curricula with global market demands. Unsupervised Sentiment analysis with NLTK and spaCy, are used to classify alumni responses into positive, neutral, and negative categories. In contrast, thematic analysis would help to spot key themes influencing career readiness, including skill development, language proficiency, and soft skills training. The findings underscore the advantages of the Anglophone educational model, which emphasizes practical skills, interdisciplinary approaches, and adaptability, over the Francophone model which prioritizes theoretical knowledge, with relapses that align with global job market needs. The study reveals a pressing need for Moroccan public universities to reform their curricula, adopting successful aspects of the Anglo-Saxon educational framework, along with enhanced focus on English, practical applications, and the integration of market soft skills and languages. These reforms aim to bridge the gap between higher education and the demands of the international labor market, ultimately improving the global competitiveness of Moroccan graduates and positioning Morocco as a key player in the knowledge-based economy.