On the 5th of July, the Continuous Vocational and Educational Training (CVET) program was launched under the attendance of Mr. Dirk Deprez (Representative of the Belgian Development Agency), Mr. Muneeb Abu Ghazaleh (Country Director of IRPAL), Mr. Saeed Jad Al Haq (Director of Vocational and Technical Department of MoEHE), Mr. Mohammed Abu Hayya (General Director of the Vocational Training Department at the Ministry of Labor) and Dr. Maher Al Tabba (Chamber of Commerce).

CVET can be defined as: “Education or training after initial education or entry into working life, aimed at helping individuals to improve or update their knowledge and/or skills; acquire new skills for a career move or retraining; continue their personal or professional development”[1].

The organization of CVET courses can be considered as one of the effective instruments that contribute to the implementation of the National TVET Strategy (2010) in the Palestinian Territory.

The explicit objective of CVET is to strengthen the competitiveness of the private sector by enabling skills upscaling and skills upgrading of its (future) staff. For obvious reasons, this will also contribute to the efforts of decreasing youth unemployment in the Palestinian Territory and foster sustainable economic growth.

A total number of 32 CVET initiatives were successfully introduced by 30 TVET institutions in partnership with private sector companies of which 12 institutions are situated in Gaza and 18 institutions in West Bank:

• 7 Technical Colleges, of which 4 in West Bank and 3 in Gaza 
• 10 Vocational Secondary Schools, of which 7 in West Bank and 3 in Gaza 
• 13 Vocational Training Centres, of which 7 in West Bank and 6 in Gaza 

A total number of around 350 students (employees and job seekers) are expected to benefit from the CVET fund. 

The total budget for the CVET initiatives amount to 171,500 euros of which 102,000 euros in the West Bank and 69,500 euros in Gaza. IRPAL contributes with the amount of 15,000 euros. 

The period of the initiatives varies between a minimum of 60 hours and a maximum of 120 hours of training over a 2 to 6 months period. 

The decision of the ECIB program of the Belgian Development Cooperation to start with a CVET pilot is based on a clearly expressed need to the private sector for more specialized and better-trained personnel during the TVET week, Career days and other events and meetings.

This CVET pilot of the ECIB is only a first step towards a more comprehensive support program of the Belgian Development Cooperation for the private sector in the Palestinian Territory. A more comprehensive support program will have the great benefit of being able to tackle the different challenges that the private sector faces in a coordinated way.

[1] See the terminology of the European education and training policy, Cedefop, 2008