Assahafa.com
Spain is seeking to hire Moroccan drivers to address the escalating shortage of professional drivers.
Spanish news outlet La Razon said Spain wants to recruit Moroccan truck and bus drivers to tackle the critical labor gaps.
The growing crisis in the sector resulted in a shortage of over 30,000 truck drivers and 5,000 bus drivers, the news outlet added.
However, drivers from Morocco could face challenges related to the requirements and the mandatory training, the high cost of obtaining the professional licenses, among other issues.
To tackle the situation, Spain approved a decree offering financial aid to drivers seeking to obtain professional driving licenses in different categories.
“This initiative aims to encourage new candidates to join the sector and help ease the significant shortage of drivers,” La Rzon reported.
Eligible drivers are those who hold a technical certificate in road transport vehicle operators. Those enrolled in the second year of training and who possess a professional competence certificate are also eligible.
Last year, Spanish reports said the Spanish government adopted measures to allow Moroccan truck drivers to work in Spain without the need to validate their licenses.
Media outlets like El Español said the exchange of professional licenses will be carried out without requiring theoretical and practical exams.
The news outlet said the Spanish government’s objective is to “eliminate existing challenges in terms of covering vacancies for qualified drivers to work in the sector.”
This is not the first time Spanish news outlets have renewed concerns about the shortage of professional drivers in Spain.
In March last year, reports said Spain launched a massive recruitment campaign to hire professional drivers.
Spanish news outlet ABC said the sector sought to onboard as many as 26,000 Moroccan professional drivers.
Several reports highlighted the unprecedented labour crisis in Europe’s road transport.
Sur in English said the shortage of truck drivers in Spain is expected to worsen as nearly half of the country’s workforce is over 55 and nearing retirement.
The same source quoted professionals, who acknowledged that the profession is unattractive to youth in the country due to high training costs and long working hours, in addition to low wages.
Obtaining the necessary licences can exceed €4,000. Salaries, meanwhile, are between €1,500 and €1,800.
Source: map
