DOHA: Silatech, Microsoft, International Youth Foundation (IYF) and the Palestinian Ministry of Labour have signed an agreement to enhance employment opportunities for Palestinian youth.
The memorandum of understanding commits them to combine the offerings available through Ta3mal, a regional network of youth employability portals led by Silatech and Microsoft, and the local 3amal portal developed by the ministry with other Palestinian partners.
The youth unemployment rate in the Arab World is 28 percent, the highest in any region. According to International Labour Organisation, in 2013, unemployment among Palestinian youth topped 40 percent.
Launched in April 2012 by Silatech and Microsoft, Ta3mal links youth to career guidance, soft skills and entrepreneurship training, eLearning, and internships and entry level job opportunities. Ta3mal.com has specialised country portals for Egypt, Qatar, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
IYF works as a local partner for Ta3mal in Palestine, managing daily work of the portal and providing access to its local network.
The 3amal portal was developed by the ministry in collaboration with the Reform and Policies Programme of German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation to promote youth employment, provide improved access to labour market information, and increase youth engagement in the economic development of Palestine.
Through the portal, the ministry aims to reach targeted parents and students in secondary schools and universities. It includes resources for students, providing them with support through career counsellors across the country.
Silatech Associate Director of Employability Dr Rachel Awad, said “There are many similarities and complementarities between both portals, so it is natural that we should collaborate to connect the partner network and employability tools of Ta3mal with the physical resources and in-depth labour information provided by the ministry. We look forward to working together on behalf of young Palestinian jobseekers.”
The Deputy Minister of Labour, Nasser Qatami, stressed the importance of the MoU, especially with regard to building partnerships with local and international stakeholders to support and promote employment opportunities for the youth.
Dr Mohammed AlMbaid, Country Director, IYF in Palestine, said by leveraging regional, international and local experiences and resources and commitments, IYF will provide Palestinian youth with tools they can access online through one portal at their convenience to make them ready to enter the labour market and/or start their enterprises. The Ta3mal-3amal linkage is expected to be formally launched by mid-2015.
The Peninsula
