Background: Youth unemployment is rife in Palestine. The gap between the Palestinian labor market and educational system has led to increasingly widening youth unemployment, worsened by the general paucity of jobs in Palestine.

Project Summary: Running for 11 years now, it is the only national program of its kind, aiming at developing a network of youth across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The program is implemented in partnership with the private sector, Palestinian universities, vocational training centers and civil society organizations.

Grounded in the five pillars of self-development, guided learning, employability, active citizenship, and entrepreneurship; the Tamayyaz program holistically empowers young people to become more employable, active, and engaged citizens. This approach ensures that youth are not seen only as COGS within the labour force, but as individual human beings with their own needs and objectives. Through visits, guest lectures, and training, the program entrenches experiential learning, a key facet of its ongoing success. In contrast to the general situation of youth, over 95% of previous Tamayyaz graduates are employed, volunteering or continuing their studies.

Tamayyaz was launched in September 2012 and is considered the path for youth and graduate students to the labour market. As a result, more than 4500 university students increased their motivation and improved their chances of competing in the labour market through this integrated program. Tamayyaz was designed especially for the students of Palestinian universities and vocational training centres over the duration of two years, and is implemented in cooperation with over 55 Palestinian national companies and institutions. Sharek implements this program on the basis of partnership with the European Union.