The Launch of PFESP’s Tamhir Program for unemployed graduates from HE and TVET institutions.

 

The Palestinian fund for employment and social protection for workers (PFESP) launched a program called Tamhir to train and job-coach newly graduated unemployed students from both higher education (HE) and technical, vocational and education training (TVET) institutions technically and professionally in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza through the program “access to the Labor Market” (PALM),  in cooperation with and through the financial aid of the GIZ alongside the assistance of the Ministry of Labor

 

The program strives to simplify the involvement of unemployed graduates in the labor market by providing short-term internships with organizations for 400 unemployed graduates from both genders in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza strip.

 

Those who participate in the program will get an internship of 5 months in the work place in both for-profit companies (private sector) and with not-for-profit companies (NGOs, cooperatives), in addition to 10 hours’ worth of training by experienced professionals in their field of work. The main focus of the program will be on developing the professional, administrative and personal skills -alongside other capabilities- of the intern that are required for their position in their field of work. Not to mention that the interns will be offered a detailed tutoring to use as their guide in the implementation of this program.

 

Mr. Mahdi Hamdan, the executive director of PFESP, under the guidelines of the board of directors headed by the Minister of Labor Dr. Nasri Abu Jaish; has confirmed that the main priority of this program is to decrease the number of unemployment by integrating young graduates from Higher Education (HE) and Technical, vocational and education training (TVET) institutions in different areas in the West Bank, Jerusalem and The Gaza strip. Adding to that, increasing job opportunities through short term internships for those who are in the process of applying for jobs, in order to bridge the gap between individuals in search for jobs and employers in search for staff in the Palestinian Labor Market.

 

Mr. Hamdan also emphasized the importance of the role this program plays in evolving the dexterities these graduates have from both genders, and has provided prospects of prolonged employment in the organizations involved after the 5-month internship.

 

It was also Clarified by Mr. Hamdan that this program will be executed through five stages. The initial stage will be Planning; through connecting with stakeholders like, Chambers of Commerce, the Ministry Labor, General Federation of Industries, the Specialized Industry of Associations, The Ministry of labor, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of higher education. The second stage will be, assessment of employers and benefiters of the program; while the third stage will be the implementation process. The fourth stage will conclude monitoring and evaluation and fifth stages will be closing and reporting.