Taking steps towards developing a Labour Market Information System in Palestine
Ramallah, 30 March 2022:
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is a powerful tool to increase skills and employability, especially for youth facing barriers to accessing decent work. According to the Palestinian Centre for Bureau and Statistics in 2020, half of youth aged between 18-29 were neither in employment, nor education or training. UNESCO has been working alongside partners in Palestine to address this issue and enhance youth access to employment via the joint UNESCO-Enabel project, TVET4Future: “Increasing TVET Competencies for Youth in the Palestinian Labour Market”.
As part of the TVET4FUTURE project, a Consultation Meeting for the “Policy analysis, Needs Assessment and Project Document to develop the Palestinian Labour Market Information System” took place at the Ministry of Labour. The Minister of Labour, Dr. Nasri Abu Jaish, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative, Ms. Noha Bawazir, and Enabel’s Project Manager, Ms. Shari Ghyselen, all attended the consultation meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to present the scope of the assignment, identify expectations and an action plan, and consult on an agreed approach.
The outcomes of this meeting will help to strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of Labour and other relevant national stakeholders to formulate policies which harmonize the supply and demand of the workforce, reduce the unemployment rate, and grow the labour market. It will also contribute to the provision of reliable labour market information to policy makers, as the project will prioritise efficient data collection, and maintain electronic statistics to support planning, as well as monitoring & evaluation. Stakeholders, including employers, job seekers and the business community, will have enhanced access to reliable and specific information that will meet their needs.