AMMAN, Saturday, May 25, 2019 (WAFA) – The American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) and ReBootKamp (RBK) are partnering to provide high-demand tech and professional job skills training to Palestinian youth in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Jordan, according to a press release, which said that 40% of youth in Jordan and Palestine are unemployed, three times the global average for young people.
“The new Anera-RBK program targets communities with the highest rates of unemployment – women, youth, refugees – and others particularly likely to benefit from skill trainings to open career opportunities. And studies show that a vibrant information technology sector significantly contributes to development and social progress,” it said.
“I can think of nothing more important than helping disaffected, unemployed, and under-employed Palestinian youth, women and refugees accelerate their careers. And, given the large and growing need for qualified software engineers in Palestine, the region and beyond, and the inability of universities to fill the vacancies fast enough, this program is a clear win-win – a win for Palestinians looking for a better future, and a win for companies needing top tech talent to be and stay competitive in a fast-changing world. Anera is excited and pleased to be able to partner with RBK on this initiative,” said Anera President & CEO Sean Carroll.
Tech is a key employment opportunity with large market demand. One million new tech jobs are forecast in the region in the next five years, with many more available through remote work with companies in Europe and the US. A World Bank survey of tech startup entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza found that the tech startup ecosystem in the region is growing rapidly but is in an early-stage and still maturing. There is a strong demand for tech skills but ed skills and experience.
The Anera-RBK pilot program, which will be launched late this month, functions as a career accelerator, producing high quality software engineers and future leaders in the regional tech industry, said the press release. RBK was one of the first coding boot camps in the Arab world, opening in Jordan four years ago with 94 percent of RBK graduates working in the industry within six months of completing the program.
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