NN46, September 2011
Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark
Vocational Education & Training for Women and Youth in Palestine: Poverty Reduction and Gender Equality under Occupation
By Randa Hilal, OPTIMUM for Consultancy & Training, Ramallah, Occupied Palestinian Territories
Email: rhilal@optimum.ps
Keywords: Poverty; Vocational Education and Training (VET); marginalized; access; gender equality; Occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt)
Summary: VET has been a main contributor to employment and poverty reduction/prevention for Palestinians. Flexibility, targeting and ongoing monitoring have increased effectiveness of VET, yet spreading the effect of VET is challenged and recommendation to overcome challenges is presented.
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Contribution of VET to employment amidst challenged context
Various recent national studies and current conducted surveys have indicated that VET has contributed to employment of its graduates, amidst challenged contexts. Results of the studies have indicated 70% to 90% employment rates of graduates, and high labour force participation rates over 65%, although youth unemployment rates reached around 40% during the last decade, with low labour force participation rate (less than 30%), the lowest compared to regional and global statistics. Rates are reflecting the economic status in oPt challenged by the political status and military occupation measures such as the mobility restrictions of people and goods, lack of control over borders and resources and fragmentation of the oPt, in addition to other challenges as the high competition, the weak legal framework, size and structure of businesses and potential to grow.
VET has also contributed to women’s access to the labour market as national labour force participation rate is around 10-15% among the lowest in the world compared to over 60% as various national surveys of VET graduates’ employment indicated. Employment rates are comparable to national numbers and still not as high as the male employment rates. Although self-employment rates for male and female graduates are higher than national numbers.
VET providing access to the marginalized, the vulnerable and the poor
Within the prolonged Palestinian political status, VET has been an effective way to provide skills for the thousands of refugees who had lost their land; moreover sending one of the sons to VET is seen by the poor as one of the strategies out of poverty, as studies indicated.
Various VET institutes have targeted the marginalized, the vulnerable and the poor, and have adapted their programs to provide training that leads to employment, through increasing effectiveness of training, linking it with the labour market and ongoing alignment of training based on market changes. Two institutes have conducted various models of training, including different types of apprenticeship training, outreach and training through production modes, while conducting ongoing review of programs, strategizing and alignment of programs and modes of training to meet market changes. Flexibility, management and ongoing monitoring of training in outcomes have contributed to increased employment of graduates of those institutes.
The current study has indicated that most of the graduates come from families with incomes below the poverty line, or with low income, with high number of family members and low achievement at schools. For those graduates, VET is a first choice not a second option, most indicated their expectation from training in finding employment or self-employment.
VET contribution to poverty reduction
The current study has indicated that employment of graduates has differed according to various variables as well as income of graduates; the findings revealed that 83% of graduates are contributing to their family income after graduation at different degrees. Findings also indicated that vocational training has contributed to poverty reduction and poverty prevention for 86% of the families, while enabling 5% of the graduates to start their own families. Nevertheless spreading the effects of VET in poverty reduction was limited due to multiple factors, including the challenged economy, lack of protection at the labour market, the attitude of the community towards VET, and the ineffective governance structure that could lead the change, added to the negative attitude of policy makers towards VET.
Recommendations to overcome the challenges and increase VET effectiveness in poverty reduction:
- 1. Enhancing effective management and governance for implementing ongoing monitoring of VET and enhancing of modes of training based on participation of stakeholders and right-holders.
- 2. Adopting different modes of training that could address different marginalized groups and would lead to employment, special attention and new modes which should address women to increase access to labour market and increase gender equality.
- 3. Documenting successful modes is of utmost importance for sharing of info and experience and most importantly to show the policy level that it works.
- 4. VET mainstreaming policies and strategies to support the poor are recommended to increase effectiveness of VET and awareness of policymakers, as well as monitoring implementation of national strategies, empowering graduates to call for their rights.
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Cite article as: Hilal, R., (2011) ‘Vocational Education & Training for Women and Youth in Palestine: Poverty Reduction and Gender Equality under Occupation’, in NORRAG NEWS, Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark, No.46, September 2011, pp. 56-58, available: http://www.norrag.org
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