Work-based learning programs for young people in the Arab region

Abstract

This report aims to inform policymakers and practitioners in the Arab region and other countries and agencies supporting the development of TVET about what steps might be taken by government, social partnerships, TVET training institutions, private and public sector workplaces, and to organise, implement, manage, and evaluate effective work-based learning programs targeting young people. The report is mainly informed by country reports from Algeria, Egypt (El-AShmawi, 2017), Jordan (Rawashdeh, 2017), Lebanon (Ghneim, 2017), Palestine (Jweiles, 2017), Morocco (Sennou, 2017), Oman (Al-Mujaini, 2017), Tunisia (Chelbi, 2017) and Algeria (Bedou 2018). Other reports and sources were also drawn on. TVET is defined by UNESCO as “those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupation in various sectors of economic life”. The specific objectives of the project informing this report are to provide current information and to compare issues and processes to make progress on work-based learning arrangements for young people addressing the following themes:  The nature and extent of work-based learning;  Policies, legislation, and regulation;  Employer and employee organisations’ participation;  Level and type of qualifications/certifications;  Acquisition of transferable and foundation skills;  Work-based learning in new sectors of the economy (green, digital, etc.);  Work-based learning as vector for access to technical, vocational education and training (TVET) for disadvantaged groups and gender equality;  Resources to support work-based learning programs and to improve their quality;  Funding work-based learning; and  Evidence, data and research on performance of WBL on employment, productivity, growth and sustainable development. Most of these themes have been addressed through the country reports, but those associated with detailed learning outcomes (i.e. transferable foundational skills, skills for new economies) are less well represented.