In the framework of "Reinforcing social and solidarity economy for the unemployed, uneducated and refugees" Project (MoreThanAJob) , a group of Public Administration (PA) representatives in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon participated in a training seminar on employment policies and the role of public administration in the development and implementation of these Policies. The training seminar took place in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon in March 2021.

The training focused on discussing the lack of employment in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, which is one of the main causes of social instability, and highlighted the importance of addressing this problem. A structured policy dialogue on employment was initiated during the training. This dialogue attributed greater importance to job creation and inclusive growth in the relevant countries.

Alongside this process of structured policy dialogue, the trainers asked the participants to develop a plan to encourage job creation and to contribute to the policy dialogue between the social and solidarity economy actors and the public administration representatives by providing reliable analyses of employment policy and employability in the region.

As part of this training, another round of analysis and discussion was launched on employment challenges and policies in selected countries of the region to map existing employment policies and active labor market programs and to assess the results and effectiveness of these instruments in addressing employment challenges.

The discussion also included a short description of the recent health context in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon, and the impact of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease on the economy and employment.

During the training, the participants worked together to develop a plan to encourage job creation. This will support the employment of university graduates and graduates of vocational training programs, the creation of micro-enterprises, and youth transition to work. Besides this public investment in employment, the implementation of the suggested plan and the effects of economic growth will result in a vast increase in recruitments.

The training covered different topics, including a brief summary on the MorethanAjob project (goals and grants), unemployment, the government's employment policies, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market, and social integration in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.

It included the participation of a number of representatives from directorates of official operating ministries, including the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Education as well as a number of directors of government departments.

The training focused on sharing experiences and appropriate policy responses to foster and promote employment and fight unemployment. This policy must include the integration of unemployed people and vulnerable groups living in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.

The participants identified the national employment policy objectives which must aim to fight unemployment using an economic approach and promote skilled work in the short and medium-term, to adapt courses and training profiles to the needs of the labor market, to support productive investment to generate jobs, to create inter-sectoral coordination bodies, and to continue to promote youth employment.

Furthermore, the training equipped the participants with knowledge and skills to achieve the above-mentioned objectives as the participants defined areas of intervention.

For more information on the project and its activities, visit the MoreThanAJob webpage on the ENI CBC Med website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.