Context
High youth unemployment is a major challenge in the Palestinian territories. University graduates are hit particularly hard; more than half are unemployed after graduation. At the same time, companies are struggling to find suitable skilled workers and managers.
The mismatch between the university system and the needs of the labour market means that university curricula is often lacking practical relevance. In addition, graduates can lack important soft skills.
Objective
The access and offerings of labour market-oriented university education have been improved. Universities are well connected internationally. Companies benefit from improvements in the transfer of university-driven innovation.
In addition to the dual study programmes implemented by the predecessor project, four dual study programmes have been established at another university.
Approach
The project develops and implements dual study programmes in cooperation with the Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron, the Ministry of Education and Higher (MoEHE), and Palestinian companies. The practical programmes meet labour market demands and enable students to acquire initial experience on the job as part of the programme, enhancing their job opportunities.
The project operates in four fields of action:
1. Developing dual study programmes by designing curricula, planning and implementing practical phases, and training instructors.
2. Recruiting partner companies by developing partnerships between the university and the private sector, with the aim of producing joint concepts for practical and training phases.
3. Developing guidelines for dual study programmes, in cooperation with MoEHE and the Palestinian accreditation agency.
4. Promoting cooperation networks for universities so that knowledge and innovation can be transferred both nationally and internationally.
Last Update: October 2025
