The National Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training held a consultative workshop to activate the Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council, in the presence of H.E. Prof. Rabeh Morrar, President of the Commission; Eng. Hisham Salama, Vice President of the Commission; and Dr. Imad Salem, with the participation of representatives from relevant government institutions, the private sector, technical and vocational education and training institutions, unions and technical bodies, as well as supporting partners.

The workshop comes as part of the Commission’s efforts to activate sector skills councils as a national tool for strengthening governance, aligning the outcomes of technical and vocational education and training with labor market needs, and promoting the active engagement of the private sector in identifying required skills and developing occupational standards and training programs.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Prof. Rabah Morrar emphasized the importance of moving from the planning and discussion phase to the practical and structured activation of skills councils. He highlighted that this step would strengthen the Commission’s role in leading and regulating the technical and vocational education and training sector and support the alignment of its outcomes with development priorities and labor market needs.

Ms. Enas Sawi, representative of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), reviewed the previous efforts related to the establishment of the Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council and the outputs achieved to date, which provide an important foundation to build upon and update in line with the current needs of the sector.

Dr. Imad Salem delivered a specialized presentation on the governance of the Council, the proposed structure, working mechanisms, and future steps, with a focus on the importance of clearly defining roles and responsibilities, activating technical committees, and ensuring follow-up and sustainability.

Eng. Hisham Salameh facilitated the workshop sessions and discussions, stressing that this meeting represents a first practical step toward activating the Council and building an initial consensus among partners on governance, membership, working mechanisms, and the implementation roadmap.

The workshop concluded with several key outcomes, most notably:

– Emphasizing the adoption of the Council as a national participatory platform for the renewable energy sector.
– Building on the previous foundational outputs and updating them in accordance with the Commission’s vision and the needs of the sector.
– Agreeing on the formation of a follow-up team for the next phase.
– Initiating the activation of specialized technical committees.
– Preparing a short and clear roadmap for activating the Council.
– Strengthening the role of the private sector in identifying current and future skills needs.

Participants highlighted the importance of the Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council in analyzing skills gaps, developing occupational standards, and supporting the updating of training programs. These efforts will contribute to improving the readiness of the Palestinian workforce and creating quality employment opportunities in the renewable energy and green technologies sectors.

At the conclusion of the workshop, the National Commission reaffirmed its commitment to following up on the outcomes with partners and working to translate the recommendations into practical implementation steps, leading to an active and sustainable Skills Council that supports the development of the renewable energy sector and the technical and vocational education and training system in Palestine.