The Steering Committee for the Youth Economic Empowerment Project held its regular meeting last week, which supports economic empowerment and enhances the social and economic participation of Palestinian youth. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Entrepreneurship & Empowerment Palestine, European Union and the Palestinians, the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the National TVET Commission - Palestine, in addition to representatives from youth in Gaza and the West Bank. During the meeting, the Belgian Development Agency team presented the current project status after the first year of the project, focusing on the challenges faced and the solutions reached to maximize the project's benefits.

Dr. Ziad Jweiles, President of the National TVET Commission, confirmed today, Tuesday, that the Commission focuses in its work with partner institutions on developing skills among youth leading to employment. This came during a reception meeting hosted by Dr. Jweiles in his office in Ramallah, with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Juhoud Foundation for Community and Rural Development, Dr. Anwar Hmeidat, and the General Manager of Al-Jum'a Mr. Maghnem Ghannam. Adi Qabajeh, General Manager of the President's Office, also attended from the Commission. The two parties discussed Dr. Jweiles' representation as a representative of the Prime Minister in the conference organized by Juhoud Foundation on World Youth Skills Day in July of this year.

Dr. Ziad Jweiles, President of National TVET Commission, opened the first Steering Committee meeting for the Paths to Employment Project (PEP), in the presence of Ms. Christelle Jocqout, representative of the Belgian Development Agency Enabel, Engineer Rasem Sawan, Project Director at the Belgian Development Agency, Dr. Basri Saleh, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Engineer Samer Musa, Director General of Technical Education, Dr. Nafie Asaf, Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Jamal Jawabra, General Manager of the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, and Mr. Mohammad Tahboub, Advisor to the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Empowerment. The meeting discussed the main axes targeted by the Belgian Development Agency Enabel during the period from 2022 to 2026, as well as the outputs of all components of the Paths to Employment Project (PEP). At the end of the meeting, agreement was reached on the next steps and the initiation of work on implementing activities related to the project. Representing the Belgian Development Agency from Gaza through Zoom were Ms. Hanin Abu Nahla, Mr. Ahmad Ghannam, and Ms. Saidah Sh'eibat, while Mr. Imad Salem, Engineer Wathiq Hethnawi, and Engineer Mohammad Mu'min Jawa'dah attended from the Commission's staff.