Eva MORRE | 20/07/2016
On the 17th
of July, the World Youth Skills Day was celebrated in Ramallah, in presence of
the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Sabri Saidam, the Deputy
Minister of Labour, Mr. Naser Qatami, the head of the Palestinian Federation of
Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (PFCCIA), Mr. Khalil Reziq, the
Belgian Development Agency (BTC),represented by Dirk Deprez, and the German Corporation
for International Cooperation (GIZ), represented by Rachel Folz as well as a
lot of young people of course.
The
speakers all emphasized the importance of the partnership between vocational
and technical institutions (TVET) and the private sector. In order to reduce
youth unemployment, we need to strengthen the linkage between these two sectors
and better link the demands of the labor market to the curricula in the
vocational institutions.
During the
World Youth Skills day, an agreement has been signed between the private
sector, represented by the PFCCIA, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education
and Higher Education, giving PFCCIA the authority to take the lead for
Palestine in the WorldSkills organization. Furthermore, agreements have been
signed between 6 TVET institutions and the local Chambers
of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture ( CCIs).
The Belgian Development Cooperation
and GIZ, two partners of WorldSkills in Palestine, supported the event as a
part of its Work Based Learning project, that tries to close the gap between
the world of training and the world of work. The mission of WorldSkills is to
raise the profile and recognition of skilled people, and show how important
skills are in achieving economic growth and personal success.
Young people are almost three times more
likely to be
unemployed than adults and are often exposed to lower quality of jobs, labour
market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-to-work transitions.
In addition, women are more likely to be underemployed and under-paid, and to
undertake part-time jobs or work under temporary contracts.
One reason for youth unemployment
is structural unemployment, a mismatch between the acquired skills and the
skills demanded by the employers. Structural unemployment affects all regions of
the world and it impacts not only economies but also hinders the transition to
equitable and inclusive societies.
WorldSkills is an initiative that focusses on this gap between the
training and work environments. It is the collective voice for skills
excellence and development in vocational, technological and service oriented
careers around the world. Through international cooperation and development
between industry, government, and institutions, they promote the benefits of
and need for skilled professionals through grass-roots community projects,
skill competitions, and knowledge exchange.
Since 1950 they have raised the awareness among youth, as well as
their parents, teachers and employers, that our future depends on an efficient
skills training system. Today WorldSkills represents more than 45 skills in 72
member countries and regions, all working together with youth, educators and
industries to help prepare the workforce and talent of today for the jobs of
the future.
In June 2015, Palestine was approved as
the 75th Member of World Skills International. The Palestinian focus lies on
advising, advocating for, guiding, and supporting the TVET sector as well as labor
market policies and programs.
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Palestine PZA1202911