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Episode 8 - MDG 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Project implemented by SKILLS (Superior Knowledge by Intensive Labour Learning Schemes)

Implemented by Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre Programme:

(http://www.skillssyria.com/en/aid39.html; http://www.sebcsyria.com)

Damascus, Syria,

April 2011

Funded by the European Union (programme funding is temporarily suspended by the EU)

Story on “Fostering Economic Empowerment among Women” is included in this story

For old story, see Eugad Wiki page: http://www.eugad.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Syria_-_Fostering_Social_and_Economic_Empowerment_among_Women_-_Damascus

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Youth in Syria comprise 35% of the working-age population and 61% of the unemployed population. In 2009, 13% of male youth and 49% of female youth (between the ages of 15 and 24) were unemployed. With 56% of the Syrians living in urban areas, a population growth of 2.7%, and literacy rates of more than 90%, youth face stiff competition in the labour market.

It was in this context that in 2010, the Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre (SEBC), the technical arm of the Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with the European Training Foundation (ETF) and funded by the European Union, launched SKILLS, an initiative aimed at training graduate students in diverse professional skills so that their employability is improved and in entrepreneurship skills so that they can start their own businesses. The vision of the SKILLS initiative is to build the national economy by equipping skilled professionals with qualifications and practical experience so that Syrian businesses and institutions have access to better qualified human resources and improve their global competitiveness.

Through the SKILLS courses, both employed and unemployed women acquired specialised skills in fields like journalism, secretarial services, business management, accounting, marketing and other professional fields where demand for trained and skilled staff was on the rise. Skills and knowledge gained through this project has helped women find jobs and/or improve their existing job positions.

Stefano, the director of this documentary, and his colleagues from Armadilla, an Italian non-government organisation, conducted a course on “Media for Development”. Young Syrian journalists and media professionals were trained in what and how to report to television audiences about global cooperation initiatives for development. The course provided both theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. The students learned about development programmes, international cooperation issues, global objectives like the MDGs. In order to see a cooperation project in action, they selected a few projects funded by the European Union in and around Damascus, the capital city of Syria. They did research on each of the projects; they interviewed the teams implementing the projects; and they met the beneficiaries. They understood the challenges and successes of each project and they developed communication stories on each of them. They filmed their research, edited their story, and discussed it in their class.

The students of the journalism course learned a new perspective on how to develop short documentaries on development issues. They all said that they would like to show these stories in televisions abroad so that people, whose governments support Syria, would know that how their money is helping the Syrian people and will continue to support such initiatives.

“SKILLS” is a business school developed in Syria thanks to the initiative of the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the Syrian Small and Medium Enterprise Support Program (SSP). The project, funded by the European Union, aims to smartly bridge the gap between education and the professional requirements of the job market.

SKILLS is an initiative launched by the Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre (SEBC) and the European Training Foundation (ETF) in cooperation and support of the EU Delegation in Damascus with the overall purpose of contributing to the development of Syrian economies through supporting entrepreneurship by providing intensive training programmes aimed at bridging the gap between business requirements and employees skills.

Its vision is to cContribute to building the national economy by providing business and institutions with skilled professionals with a wide range of qualifications and practical experience.

The mission is to qualify and train young people and provide them with the diversified skills to enable them to find a good job or start their own business

Firas Bwabiji (24 years old) is currently looking for a job that suits his ambitions. “After graduating from Skills school, I was hired by an international firm in Dubai to work at its Bahraini branch”. To him, studying at Skills school gave him a range of opportunities he thought it would never come to him: “What you learn in 6 months makes you armed with all the skills the work market needs, from A to Z”.
After graduation, Firas’ school colleague Manal Ayash was hired by the Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre. In fact, the 24 graduating students, most of which hold a secondary diploma, succeeded in finding a job. To Manal, the Skills diploma constitutes a passport to the business world. She says the school helped her get a good career, but also developed her personality: “Studying made me a more confident person”.
“We need more”
Many local and international firms are waiting for more Skills students to be graduated in Damascus and Aleppo. According to Nawaf Zeidan, who is a recognized training and business development consultant, “companies should create their own training centers, because Skills school will not be able to cover alone the market needs”.
“Qualified workforce represents a major problem in Syria”, says Samer El Debs, a well-known businessman who benefited from the Skills graduated students, and he is currently waiting for more graduates, “as it is difficult to find competent workers in this country”.
Each year, Syria needs to ensure 280 thousand new jobs, knowing that the unemployment rate reaches 8.5% according to official sources, and 20% according to economic analysts. Besides, it is unfortunately a living death for young people to find a job in Syria…
Debs explains that the Syrian educational system is badly affected by problems that are mainly related to the lack of English language skills, computer literacy and of practical methods for learning. In addition, tuition fees at private universities are unaffordable for youth (a minimum of $2000). “It is important to invest in human resources instead of machines”, says Debs, adding that “the qualifying process should include training sessions but also professional ethics courses”.
Skills aims to help young people enter the increasingly competitive market. In order to register for Skills school, the student must be between 18 and 24. He should have a baccalaureate degree and an acceptable English level. The candidate is asked to pass an IQ test, the general knowledge and the English language tests, in addition to an individual interview. In parallel, Skills offers him computer training, intensive English courses as well as around 24 business sessions. Students are asked to show discipline during studies: if the absence rate reaches 20% of total courses, the skipper is prevented from receiving a diploma. The program does not cater only to Syrian students. Around 20 Iraqi refugees residing in Damascus benefited from its training courses.

Web sites with additional information

Syria - SKILLS - Training Young Syrian Journalists