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Palestina
The first boot camp for technical and vocational education
and training (TVET) in Palestine was launched in Gaza city on the 31st of May.
This entrepreneurship boot camp for TVET graduates or Gradueneur is a joined initiative of the Belgian
Development Agency and Islamic Relief in cooperation with the private sector. Representatives
from the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and
representatives from the private sector and the trade unions all attended the
opening ceremony.
During 3 days, 120 graduates of the construction
and ICT sectors will be trained in life and entrepreneurship skills that will
help them to take the first steps in their career. Before the start of the boot
camp, the students were asked about their expectations, and based on their
hopes and desires, they were divided in two groups.
A first group of 60 students indicated that they would like
to start their own company. Therefore, they received a three day training
course on how to develop a business plan. The first day they had courses on the concept of being an entrepreneur.
The second day there were sessions on how to translate their own idea into a
sustainable business model, and on the third day they had to defend their ideas
and their business plan in front of a professional jury. The jury – consisting
of the private sector and business experts – has given them feedback and the 4
best ideas from each sector – ICT and construction – have won a start-up
fund, financed by Islamic Relief.
The other 60 students indicated that they prefer to work as
an employee in a company. Therefore, a different trajectory was foreseen for
them. On the first day, a career guidance session helped them to improve their
CVs and apply for a job. The next day, different companies from the Gaza strip were
invited to attend a career day, where they could get into contact with the
students. The companies were given an incentive to recruit them, because during
the first two months they only have to pay their employees 30% of their
salaries, as the other 70% will be funded by Islamic Relief. At the end more
than 25 graduates were hired during the career day.
This boot camp was a first in the Palestinian Territory. As it turned out to be very successful, the idea might be exported to the West Bank
as well.
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