Launch of Skills4Sport in Palestine to create job opportunities for youth in the sport sector
Palestine: Sports for Life (PS4L) launched an info and press day on the 29th of June, 2021 at Carmel hotel, Ramallah to promote the Skills4Sports project funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC Med Programme.
PS4L invited Palestinian key stakeholders and policymakers in the sports sector, press and thematic journalists to present key information about the Skills4Sports project, which aims to increase the employability of youth not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEETs) of the Mediterranean area in the sports sector, by developing new professionals, reducing the mismatch of skills and involving key stakeholders.
Moreover, the Skills4Sports project will enhance key transferable skills and market-related knowledge corresponding to new/niche professions. It will also create a support network for the development of sports professionals, involving the quadruple helix stakeholders (government, society, education/academia, private sector) of the region such as themselves.
Ms. Tamara Awartani from PS4L highlighted the importance of the project for Palestine as there is a high unemployment rate amongst youth reaching 35% (source Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics) since the project aims to bridge the gap of skills needed in the sports sector involving key stakeholders and providing employment opportunities for NEETs. As a result, 1,200 NEETs will be trained in professional skills for the sports sector, 9 new curricula for sports professionals and 3 electronic tools for e-learning and gamification will be developed.
Thereafter, PS4L team led round table discussions on the Palestinian sports sector, with different key stakeholders representing the government: Ministry of Education – Students Activities department and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) department, Higher Council of Youth and Sports, Palestinian Olympic Committee, Universities: Arab American University, Polytechnic University - Hebron, UN Agencies: UNRWA, UNODC, Civil society organizations, sports journalists and the private sector.
The discussions were fruitful bringing different views and ideas from the different stakeholders, and a great start for the Skills4Sports project on how it will bridge the skills gap and increase the employment of NEETs.
The info day gave us an insight about sports opportunities and the importance of building the skills for NEETs. Our role will be in strengthening the partnerships with civil society organisations and universities, reinforce the sports culture in new specialties that meet the needs of the local sports labor market.
The activities and vision of the project will benefit the Palestinian sports sector in general and will strengthen the sports' role on a bigger scale and become a priority on a national level, to be supported on a local and international level, bringing Palestinian sports skills on a higher level at both technical and managerial level.
It is a very important day that we need to build on and invest in with all partners in the training sector and in the labor market. We are the largest sector in the labor market to take in NEETs and fresh graduates. We also aim to create a Sports Activities teacher center to create further job opportunities to be able to receive a higher number of NEETs.
PS4L is one of the partners of the Skills4Sports project to increase the employability of NEETs (youth not in Education, Employment, or Training) by addressing the skills gap in the sports sector. Under the umbrella of the European Union ‘ENI CBC MED’ programme and with a total of eight organizations involved, the project has a duration of two and a half years and a budget of almost 3 million euros, 2.6 million of which are granted by the EU.
Contact Person
Tamara Awartani, tamara.awartani@ps4l.org
For more information http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/skills4sports