East Jerusalem, young entrepreneurs grow up
14-11-2019 | di COOPI

East Jerusalem, young entrepreneurs grow up

On November 13th, a closing ceremony was held for their project “Promoting East Jerusalem innovation and sustainable economic development through TVET”, funded by the European Union, at the secondary school in the industrial area north of Jerusalem.

Representatives of COOPI, the European Union, the Directorate of Education of Jerusalem, and the project partners, including Al Saraya Center and TVET League, participated at the ceremony, during which three young entrepreneurs told how COOPI project helped them launching their startup businesses.

Like them, other students benefited from the project, which allowed them to become more acquainted with vocational training options - with a rise in training centres’ and schools’ enrolment applications – and be supported in finding jobs or setting up their own businesses.

However, as Tiago Maymone, COOPI Head of Mission in Jerusalem, points out, "the success of the project can only be guaranteed if, vocational training institutions that took part in the project takes a leading role in the development of the TVET sector".

For this reason, a new project proposal has been submitted to the European Union and other donors to move their TVET programme into a new phase, aiming at establishing better links to the market, empowering the role of local organizations – as mentioned, and reaching out to a broader variety of potential beneficiaries, including people with disabilities, adults in varying phases of their professional life, and other segments.

The project "Promoting East Jerusalem innovation and sustainable economic development through TVET", which started in May 2016 and will end in November 2019, has strengthened the livelihoods of East Jerusalem beneficiaries by promoting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a smart career option, support TVET providers in their activity, and to improve employability through career guidance and supporting entrepreneurship.