History
Vocational training for women started by various educational
& charitable institutes, as non-structured initiatives since
the 19th century. After the plight of the Palestinian people
in 1948, vocational training for women became a real need
for the Palestinian population as a whole as they lost their
land as their source of income and needed skills to be able
to support themselves and their families. Hence non-governmental
& charitable organizations such as the YWCA in the West
Bank and MECC (Middle East Counsil Of Churches) in Gaza
started working among women in refugee camps. UNRWA joined
in 1962 with structured training. After 1967 the scope and
structure of vocational training for women has increased.
Training was mainly in traditional vocations like, sewing,
knitting and embroidery. In the sixties secretarial work
and nursing has joined. Also the Ministry Of Labour had
included women in their Vocational Training Centers (VTCs),
but again only in the traditional fields. Up until the 1990s
industrial and agricultural training was only male oriented.
Women received agricultural training during the eighties
only through non-formal training in short-term courses.
The year 1996 marked the beginning of women joining the
non-traditional industrial training in the YMCA-VTC. Women
were trained on maintenance of electronics. In 1998 the
Hebron Industrial School (run by Ministry of Education &
Higher Edcuation) followed in industrial electronics and
the Lutherian World Federation (LWF) in Telecommunications.
Computer maintenance was added to the first 2 schools and
graphic design to the YMCA. The women joined into the existing
VTCs and schools, but support programs for women were provided.
Alos in 1998 women have joined for the first time agricultural
schools. The UNRWA Women College has added paramedical training
as well as graphic design, jewelry production and hotel
management.
Non- formal education/short-term courses:
Non-formal education and training has been a chance for women because such courses could reach women where ever they are. These courses are for short periods. Hundreds of courses where offered annually in different locations. Some courses could specifically target women. Courses were offered by different institutes, international development organizations or women organizations and different sectoral ones. Cultural centers also offer short–term courses where women’s presence is almost equal to men’s.
As part of supporting the TVET system in Palestine, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has offered more than 300 non-formal training courses between 2001 and 2003 in various fields. Over 30% of the 4300 graduates are women.
As a conclusion one can state that vocational training for women started on a small scale in traditional fields and is now enlarged in quality and quantity, continuously adding more specialties and opening more spaces and professions for women all over the West-Bank and Gaza.
But vocational training and education for women still needs to be enlarged as less than 30% of all TVET graduates are women.
Opening new spaces and adding new fields for women is part of the future plans of the TVET stakeholders and training providers. Awareness for school girls, their families as well as the labour market is also an important task.
The full implementation of the national Palestinian TVET strategy with all its aspects, will offer women a fair chance to be vocationally and technically educated and trained in Palestine.
Training provided specifically for women:
The MOL, MEHE, UNRWA & NGO VET are offering continuous vocational training for women in the following specialties:
Centers sponsored by the UNRWA and NGOs
| Training Provider |
Fields of Training |
Number of Trainees/ annually |
Number of graduates
/annually |
Percentages Women/all grad. |
| UNRWA-WC |
UNRWA
Intr. |
|
|
|
| LWF |
-Telecommunications |
2003-24
2002-21
2001-21
2000-11 |
2003-10
2002-11 |
13% |
| YMCA |
-Maintenance of electronics equip.
-Graphic design
-Maintenance of office equipment |
2003-59
2002-54
2001-58
2000-59 |
2003-29
2002-24
2001-30
2000-20 |
19% |
| YWCA |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Public health
-House economy |
2003-123
2002-133
2001-115
2000-132 |
2003-123
2002-118
2001-112
2000-124 |
100%
Female |
| MECC |
-Advanced dressmaking
-Secretarial studies |
2003-50
2002-59
2001-65 |
2003-50
2002-59
2001-65 |
53%
56%
55% |
| AL-Bir |
-Sewing & knitting |
2003-20
2002-20
2001-20
|
2003-20
2002-20
2001-20
|
19%
|
Centers sponsored by MEHE
| Training Provider |
Fields of Training |
Number of Trainees/ annually |
Number of graduates
/annually |
Percentages Women/all grad. |
| Hebron Vocational Industrial Secondary School |
-Industrial Electronics, -Computer Maintenance |
60 |
60 |
23.17% |
| Beit-Hanoun Agricultural Co-educational Secondary
School |
Agricultural |
2003-14
2002-16
2001-14
2000-24
1999-15 |
2003-14
2002-16
2001-14
2000-24
1999-15 |
20.29%
25%
20.58%
32%
22.73% |
| Al-Aroub Co-educational Secondary School |
Agricultural |
2003-40
2002-28
2001-28
2000-13
|
2003-40
2002-28
2001-28
2000-13
|
15.5%
13.52%
17%
15.34% |
| Hashim Ata Al Shawa Vocational and Industrial Unit |
*Telecommunications
*Personal Computer Maintenance
*Beautification
*Cloths Manufacturing |
. |
47 |
100% |
| Commercial Vocational Education |
Commercial |
1346 |
|
|
For a more detailed list for commercail vocational schools
please
click here
Centers sponsored by MOL
| Training Provider |
Fields of Training |
Number of Trainees/ annually |
Number of graduates
/annually |
Percentages Women/all grad. |
| Hebron VTC |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Sewing, knitting & dressmaking
-Beautification
- |
2003-112
2002-105
2001-104
2000-103 |
2003-112
2002-105
2001-104
2000-100
|
99% |
| Ramallah VTC |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Sewing, knitting & dressmaking
|
2003-29
2002-33
2001-38
2000-41 |
2003-29
2002-33
2001-38
2000-41
|
100% |
| Jenien VTC |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Sewing, knitting & dressmaking
-
|
2003-51
2002-19
2001-16
2000-33 |
2003-46
2002-11
2001-16
2000-31
|
99% |
| Talkarem VTC |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Sewing, knitting & dressmaking
-Beautification
|
2003-70
2002-40
2001-36
2000-39 |
2003-70
2002-40
2001-36
2000-36
|
99% |
| Qalqylya VTC |
-Secretarial work & managment
-Sewing, knitting & dressmaking
|
2003-26
2002-26
2001-30
2000-12 |
2003-26
2002-26
2001-30
2000-12
|
100% |
*All MOL VTCs , YWCA, AlBir & MECC women training courses are 1 year.