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Resources for refugees from Ukraine

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 - Welcome to our blog

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Project insights

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For many refugees, finding a job is challenging. Some lack formal certificates to enter the labor market or face tedious and costly job recognition processes. Language skills also present a barrier for many newcomers looking to gain a foothold in Germany. The risk of ending up in precarious working conditions is high. At the same time, many sectors in Germany and throughout Europe face severe challenges in filling their job openings and training positions. Demographic change, a shift in the labor market, and an ever-growing offering of study programs or alternative job training possibilities lead to a decline in the recruitment rates of apprentices for technical professions. 
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Since November 2021, Kiron and Alstom have joined forces to tackle this mismatch through our first joint project, “Digital learning opportunities and skills training for refugees,” funded by the Alstom Foundation. In the project, Kiron has developed a digital learning program consisting of language and 21st-century skills courses on Kiron Campus and course content in mechatronics and electronics provided by Cornelsen eCademy. Recruitment was a huge success – more than 300 learners expressed interest and registered for the program.

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A significant milestone and highlight of the project was a visit to the Alstom site in Salzgitter in Lower Saxony on August 11th. Fourteen of our highly-motivated program participants traveled from all over Germany to join the event. Christian Peter, head of training at Alstom in Salzgitter, welcomed the students and showed them around the site to give them first-hand insights into the company. Mr. Peter and the students had already met through two online workshops, but it was clear to all that a “real” in-person meeting and site visit was invaluable for the program’s success. For the participants, this was the first time they had seen how trains are manufactured – an experience that is difficult to convey online. The visit also included a presentation about open job positions by Amelie Dittmann, Inhouse Recruiter at Alstom. Receiving this information firsthand and asking questions created a unique opportunity for the participants to make informed decisions about their job applications and take the next step in their careers.

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“The tour in Alstom factory was awesome. After this tour, I’m seeing trains completely different.” – Martha, Kiron student.

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Six students have already submitted their applications to Alstom to start an internship or job position, and more are still working on their online preparatory courses. We wish them good luck with their next steps in their careers! We are grateful for our partnership with Alstom and Cornelsen ecademy & Inside GmbH to create pathways into the job market for Kiron students. A big thank you to our partners and to the Alstom Foundation for making this possible!

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Kiron Ausbildungsbrücke program with Alstom creates job market pathway

Press Releases

Kiron in Jordan

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Amman, 1 September 2022. In the context of building the capacity of Jordanian youth in political life, “KAS Program to Activate the Role of Youth in Political Life”, implemented in partnership with Kiron Open Higher Education, is a project to be conducted in its second edition, adapting a new digital approach. 
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The course will be hosted on our digital learning platform, Kiron Campus and include nine key concepts: The Public Sphere, Social Contract, The State, The Civil Society, Citizenship, Democracy as a Concept, Democratic Tools, Political Parties and Individual Freedom.
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In its first edition, the project was conducted in partnership with Aramram عرمرم and Ruwwad &#8211; Jordan رواد التنمية &#8211; الأردن as a community partner and aimed at creating a change in knowledge and attitudes towards civic engagement and participation in the public domain through the dissemination of political philosophy papers targeting youth. 
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In its second edition, Kiron Campus is pleased to dedicate a designated an online category hosting all nine key concepts in different visual, audio formats. The course will include political papers, short videos and interactive content. 
 
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This project aims to strengthen the comprehensive national protection system in line with international protection standards (comprehensive, transparent and fair), thus ensuring the rights of vulnerable Jordanians to enjoy a dignified life. A blended approach will be adapted over the course of this project with the support of Kiron Facilitators and the features of self-paced studies using Kiron Campus. 
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INQUIRIES 
Farah Mansour 
Project Manager 
<a href="mailto:farah.mansour@kiron.ngo">farah.mansour@kiron.ngo</a>

<h1>كايرون الأردن تطلق برنامج تعزيز المشاركة المدنية للشباب الأردني بالشراكة مع كاس</h1>
 
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عمان، الأول من أيلول. في سياق بناء قدرات الشباب الأردني وتمكين المشاركة في الحياة السياسية، ينطلق &#8220;برنامج KAS لتفعيل دور الشباب في الحياة السياسية&#8221; ، الذي تم تنفيذه بالشراكة ما بين مؤسسة كونراد اديناور و كايرون للتعليم العالي المفتوح، كمشروع يتم تنفيذه في نسخته الثانية ، متبنياً نهجاً
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 رقمياً جديداً.ستتم استضافة المساق عبر منصة التعلم الرقمية الخاصة بكايرون، Kiron Campus  بحيث يتضمن المساق تسعة مفاهيم رئيسية: المجال العام ، العقد الاجتماعي ، الدولة ، المجتمع المدني ، المواطنة ، الديمقراطية كمفهوم ، الأدوات الديمقراطية ، الأحزاب السياسية والحرية الفردية.في نسخته الأولى ، تم تنفيذ المشروع بالشراكة مع عرمرم ورواد التنمية &#8211; الأردن  كشريك مجتمعي تحت أطر إحداث تغيير في المعرفة والمواقف تجاه المشاركة المدنية والمشاركة في المجال العام من خلال مشاركة أوراق سياسية فلسفية تخاطب الشباب.
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في نسخته الثانية، عملت كايرون على تخصيص فئة عبر منصتها الإلكترونية تستضيف من خلالها جميع المفاهيم الأساسية التسعة بتنسيقات مرئية وصوتية مختلفة. بحيث تشمل الدورة أوراق سياسية ومقاطع فيديو قصيرة ومحتوى تفاعلي.
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يهدف هذا المشروع إلى تعزيز نظام الحماية الوطني الشامل بما يتماشى مع معايير الحماية الدولية (شاملة وشفافة وعادلة) ، وبالتالي ضمان حقوق الأردنيين بما فيهم الشباب من المجتمعات الأقل حظاً من التمتع بحياة كريمة. سيتم اعتماد المنهج المختلط والذي يجمع ما بين المساقات الصفية والدراسة عبر الإنترنت  -التي تسهل سبل الدراسة الذاتية &#8211; على مدار هذا المشروع و بدعم من ميسري جلسات مختصين. 
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صادر عن دائرة الاعلام والاتصال &#8211; كايرون 
فرح منصور 
مديرة مشروع 
<a href="mailto:farah.mansour@kiron.ngo">farah.mansour@kiron.ngo</a>

Kiron Jordan launches the KAS Program to further civic engagement for Jordanian youth

Meet our students

Kiron insights

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Kiron provides a free education option after public high school. But there is still the eternal question; how can I get a degree when Kiron can’t transfer me to a university in Jordan and Lebanon? OK, that is true, but what if you can get a full-time job with a great monthly salary based on Kiron studying even without a formal university degree? Isn&#8217;t that exciting? Let’s see how that is.
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Previously, I have written <a href="https://kiron.ngo/community/zahers-story-skill-building-as-a-life-long-learner/">my story about how in 2021</a> I got freelance work projects based on Kiron studying. My name is Zaher Talab and I have been in Jordan for a long time, but I&#8217;m originally from Syria. And today the hot news is that after studying more Kiron courses, I got a full-time job in a well-reputed technology company. And guess what also? It’s a fully remote job that enables me to work from home exactly like Kiron is fully remote studying from home!
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In 2019, Kiron began to introduce short career path courses. I was involved in the Kiron community discussions and got into many debates with classmates about the benefits of Kiron studying without a degree and how to get a real career from just some Coursera courses certificates. At that time, things really were vague. For me, I had no other choice, but with my passion for studying, I kept going. Most of my friends were skeptical about that. I argued that we have entered a new era where the importance of skills is higher than traditional university degrees. Unfortunately, most of them didn&#8217;t believe me, so I was forced to continue my way alone, except for Kiron&#8217;s lovely staff support.
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After a period of working as a freelance technology writer based on my Kiron studies and others, I decided to enter the new technologies field to become a technical writer. It is a better career and has more full-time job opportunities. Since Jan 2021, I have studied more than 20 tech courses. In addition to using the LinkedIn platform for building relationships with company managers and HR leaders. Finally, I have gotten a real full-time job as a technical writer exactly like a real university graduate.
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Mostly this will work well with technology career paths. You can master your field by studying many courses. I suggest Artificial intelligence, Programming, Cybersecurity, and more.
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Whatever your situation is: a public high school graduate, a dropout of college because of the Syrian war, a graduate in a stagnant specialization with no job opportunities, or simply you want to make a career shift in mid-age like me, you can count on Kiron&#8217;s study. Just trust me!
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We all know that career life, in general, doesn&#8217;t stop at a university degree. But modern technology career paths don&#8217;t stop at a university degree and studying at Kiron proved its benefits in this.
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Full of hope, passion, and optimism, I like to tell you how to succeed in real and practical life stories. With love for all my classmates, I also wish you to tell us about your career success story. Please give it a try, you can do it.
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You can see and congratulate Zaher&#8217;s new technical writing job <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6949619312840077313/?utm_source=linkedin_share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web">here</a>, and read more about his studying and career in his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/content-writer-zaher-talab/">LinkedIn profile</a>.

Zaher’s Story: Becoming a technical writer [Update]

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Changing careers is not always an easy decision to make. But for many who have faced displacement, it can be the only option. 
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One of our learners, Özkan, has been living in Germany for three years after moving from Turkey due to the political unrest there. A former naval officer with two master&#8217;s degrees in Economics and International Relations under his belt, he decided to use his skills to start a career in data science. 
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“I was really vulnerable because of all these circumstances, but I needed a plan. So I have my plan in my mind, but I did not have this navigation.”
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After joining Kiron in 2019, the Volunteer Vision mentorship program became his navigation. His mentor was more than his go-to for practical career advice and CV prep, but also boosted his motivation and confidence. 
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“Feeling someone is there caring about your journey had a really powerful effect on me. If you are experiencing this kind of stuff, you really need someone to be by your side. It&#8217;s that easy. She gave me this idea that [landing a job] is doable and you are on the right path. I have this fear that I cannot show my potential to job markets. This is my biggest challenge. I was aware of my capacity, but it&#8217;s hard to convey that to employers.”
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For two years, Özkan was actively looking for job opportunities, applying to over 300 openings. While candidates with alternative credentials are cited as being more qualified and skilled than candidates without, the average workplace often values traditional degrees more. This can be a big barrier for many newcomers who reskill in order to match the job market of their host countries. He credits his mentor for helping him through. “In this horror or hustle time, I have this mentoring and Kiron always by my side.”
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Özkan took many Kiron and Coursera courses that aided the technical elements of his career shift. He is also a strong advocate for life-long learning. He says learning “always gave me this opportunity to discover and also to get to know myself as well my limits.” 
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Over the years, he brought many friends and other Turkish veterans to the mentoring program to push for their success and build a strong community — which can be a challenge to find during online learning. Having a community of peers to exchange ideas with and learn from supports growth and focus.  Now, Özkan is a data scientist at a fashion company and working on freelance projects on the side. He shares this valuable piece of advice to potential learners:
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“Even though circumstances really got that bad, there is still hope there with an education and a good mindset and some visionaries, mentors, and reachable resources. It makes it possible. I know it&#8217;s hard, but I could tell that it is doable and perseverance always pays off. I can tell it 100%.”

Feeling someone is there caring about your journey had a really powerful effect on me. If you are experiencing this kind of stuff, you really need someone to be by your side. It's that easy. She gave me this idea that [landing a job] is doable and you are on the right path.

Meet Özkan: How mentorship supported his career shift￼

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For the last three years, Martha has been adjusting to her new home in Hamburg, Germany, 9,000 km away from her homeland Nicaragua. Facing a bureaucratically challenging new country, a two-year gap in her CV, and no prior knowledge of the language, accessing the job market was not so easy. 
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“At the beginning, it was very hard because there was a lot of paperwork that I have to have here, and most of it was left behind because I never thought at the moment that I would have to leave the country because I came here for a political situation.”
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Before her move, Martha already had a diverse CV, first working at an NGO and then becoming a lawyer. While it took about a year and a half to have her law certification recognized in Germany, she realized not having a firm grasp of the language would make practicing difficult. Without C1 German as well, the other option of a university placement posed to be difficult and expensive.  
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Discovering Kiron Campus
Looking for alternatives, she stumbled on Kiron and immediately start her online learning journey. She thought, “Oh my god, I think this is the place where I can start doing something. And I actually find very, very interesting courses. I found Kiron very, very supportive and helpful because I know all these courses I will have to pay for and I&#8217;m doing it for free, so I&#8217;m trying to take advantage of it, as much as I can.”
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Even though she was excited by the Kiron Campus, online learning did not always come easy. Self-paced learning although flexible requires time management and motivation. Martha was learning and taking care of her children, which meant sometimes she would be studying in the early mornings at 4:00 AM. “You have to have a very, very strong will to persuade you of your goals. I find this for me was very helpful because I can focus now as I focus on this course the first time I can focus on another thing in the same way. Just with my own will.”
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Martha took German lessons and focused on an HR specialization to prepare herself for the job market. She has also been completing a course on supply chain logistics, encouraged by her mentor from Deutsche Börse. 
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The value of mentorship
In 2021, Martha took part in our mentorship program with Deutsche Börse — a capital market company based in Frankfurt. With her mentor, she set up her goals and was introduced to the European working culture, which was very different from previous companies she had worked at. The meetings were productive and his advice guided her through her career transition. She also learned soft skills during their meetings, like time management, which she had struggled with before. Now, since completing the mentorship, she has started an internship at Deutsche Börse!
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“It was very productive and I&#8217;m very thankful for that because this opportunity came from Kiron.” 
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To all future learners out there, Martha shares her advice, “Look for what is motivating you. Why do you want to do that exactly and then move forward and believe in yourself.” 
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We 100% agree. 
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Find out about our current mentoring programs on the Kiron Campus <a style="color: #33cccc;" href="https://campus.kiron.ngo/services/mentoring">here</a>. If you are interested in partnering with us or funding a similar program, reach out to our Partnerships Manager, <a href="mailto:kathrin.dischereit@kiron.ngo">Kathrin Dischereit</a>!

Martha's story: Overcoming job market barriers with Kiron

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Partners

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Milena, a 36-year-old single mother of two from Venezuela, is expanding her digital skillset in the hopes of starting her own company from home. “I like to be at home because I can keep an eye on my children and see what they are doing and teleworking gives us this opportunity of work.” 
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She is one of 1.8 million Venezuelans in Colombia who have fled the political, social, and economic crisis in their homeland.
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Faced with limited job options, many migrant women take on informal jobs that do not provide healthcare, are unsafe, and are paid below minimum wage in order to support themselves and their families. 
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However, Milena’s dream is to develop a platform for mental health support and give back to her community.  To achieve this, she is taking online courses to improve her digital skills on the Kiron Campus through a new project, Puente Digital. Puente Digital is a 12-week hybrid education and income-generation program designed by Kiron, DignifAI, &amp; Comparte Por Una Vida Colombia and funded by the Internet Society Foundation. 
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This unique program is tailored to women, who are often more vulnerable and in need of flexible income generation opportunities. Through upskilling, they learn long-term job market-relevant skills that boost their social inclusion and open doors for them in the gig economy. Upskilling minimizes skill gaps and is a sustainable and empowering solution to finding dignified employment. 
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Participants start by learning digital and job market-relevant skills through online courses on the Kiron Campus. Once finished, they choose one of three study tracks: BPO/Call Center Industry; Gig Economy; Online Economy. Running concurrently, participants can obtain temporary work in AI data annotation through DignifAI’s Impact Sourcing operation, allowing them to earn a stable wage while gaining practical work experience. 
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This high-impact program is not a short-term solution but an investment in the next generations. Lilian, another single mother participating in the program, says, “I would like to learn [digital skills] for my daughters so when they have the opportunity to have cell phones, they do not make mistakes later, rather that they learn through me.”
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Lilian currently sells cakes in town with her daughters, having encountered employment barriers due to her immigration status.  Puente Digital is the opportunity she’s been looking for, not only to upskill and open doors to safer work options but also for her daughters’ futures.

Puente Digital 1st cohort Quick Look: 
40 students enrolled 
75% women 
Top courses:
<ul>
<li>Digital Skills (google suite), How to use Linkedin, job market preparedness</li>
<li>How-to use platforms to find remote jobs</li>
<li>Time management at work</li>
<li>Public speaking skills</li>
<li>Business communication</li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"></li>
</ul>

Empowerment through upskilling: Supporting migrant women at the Colombian/Venezuelan border

Kiron in Lebanon

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Skill building, training programs, online courses: there are countless methods to prepare for a job and develop the skills needed to perform well at work. But in Lebanon, which hosts the most significant number of refugees per capita, the steep rise in unemployment due to the pandemic and concurrent economic crisis has made it challenging to access upskilling opportunities, especially for under-served communities. 
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To stand out in a shrinking job market, young adults need hands-on experience. To find a solution to address the employability situation, Kiron came together with Virtual Internships (VI) to create a unique blend of remote education and career growth for its learners through the ACCESS Project, supported by SPARK and the Islamic Development Bank &#8211; IsDB, and ISFD. Many students were eager to participate in this pioneering program. 
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Our longstanding partner, Virtual Internships’ mission is to democratize the global workforce so that anyone can land their dream job anywhere, based not on geography but merit. This is particularly valuable for people with refugee or asylum seeker status, who face many bureaucratic barriers. After our students completed their applications, VI matched them to companies in over 19 countries based on their skills, interests and competencies like leadership, communication, career management, intercultural fluency, digital technology and teamwork, thus achieving the project’s objective. 
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By the end of the 3-month program, 43 out of 50 students successfully completed the internship, with 51% receiving either full-time employment, a part-time or contractual position or an internship extension. The biggest takeaways of the participants (97%) from the project were Increased productivity and teamwork skills.

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It was the most unforgettable two months of my life. I've learned skills I would never learn without this chance.



How did ACCESS reach this level of success?
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Conducting sessions in English 
International companies use English as their business language. To make this a priority, most of the interview training, CV writing and job preparation courses were conducted in English. These sessions boosted their English skills and improved their application and interview skills in the professional field. Support officers also helped students to record a video pitch for future internships.
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Adapting to challenges
Internet stability has been a challenge for learners in Lebanon in recent years and makes it difficult for people to study online. Kiron supported students primarily through WhatsApp and supplied mobile internet data bundles to keep students on track. 
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Eihab Ballor, a Kiron student, described, “The whole experience is a highlight for me. It was the most unforgettable two months of my life. I&#8217;ve learned skills I would never learn without this chance. I&#8217;ve been able to make relationships worldwide. I&#8217;ve been allowed to be introduced to other cultures, and this internship was the achievement of my year. So I want to thank everyone who was responsible for this opportunity. “You made my life better!”
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Combining preparatory training with hands-on, virtual experience has proved an effective pathway to the job market. With the success of the first cohort behind us, we want to scale this program both in Lebanon and other countries to bridge even more gaps in employment. 
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Reach out to Kiron Lebanon Country Director, <a style="color: #33cccc;" href="mailto:carine.borkhoche@kiron.ngo">Carine Borkhoche</a> to learn how you can support this program or co-create similar impactful programs with us!

Career readiness goes virtual

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Pursuing higher education often brings a promise of better job opportunities, increased salaries, and more stability. Still, recent graduates and young adults see much higher unemployment rates in Jordan, estimated at around 40% [<a href="https://www.mei.edu/publications/overcoming-unemployment-jordan-need-evidence-based-policies">MEI</a>]. Syrian refugees and other conflict-affected youth are among them, taking about three years on average to gain meaningful employment [<a href="https://www.oecd.org/countries/jordan/youth-issues-jordan.htm#:~:text=Jordan%27s%20economy%20is%20thwarted%20by,high%20unemployment%20among%20university%20graduates.">OECD</a>].
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While higher-ed enrollment rates are increasing along with the quality and accessibility of education, the unemployment trend is growing. The basis of this seemingly paradoxical situation can be seen in the lack of accessibility and quality of programs that facilitate a smooth school-to-work transition, which should include mentoring and skills training, primarily in industries like tech. 
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Re-skilling programs are an effective way to align the job market&#8217;s needs with qualified candidates. Working with the Danish Refugee Council and LOYAC, Kiron Jordan has developed the Pathways to Youth Empowerment (PYE) project, combining English language courses, sector-specific training, and self-employment skill-boosting to harness the talent of unemployed youth across Jordan.
This project aims to bridge the current skills gaps and tackle these three essential areas within the supply-demand mismatch that guarantee success in the Jordanian job market and beyond.

All the skills and information I learn will help me achieve my practical and personal goals. For example, what I took from this program is professionally expressing opinions and ideas and responding clearly without ambiguity, and this may qualify me in the future to compete among my work team to perform the best results.




<ol>
<li>Increase English language proficiency </li>
</ol>
Jordan&#8217;s position as a hub for international organizations and businesses has made English language skills crucial for success in the job market. However, many educational programs are slow to adopt changing job market trends like this one. A lack of training in areas like English language skills results in many young Jordanians being less competitive in most sectors internationally. High-quality, online English courses are flexible, making it more accessible for youth, especially women, to study while caring for children and working. 
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One student who took the English training believes, “that all the skills and information I learn will help me achieve my practical and personal goals. For example, what I took from this program is professionally expressing opinions and ideas and responding clearly without ambiguity, and this may qualify me in the future to compete among my work team to perform the best results.”
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<li> Mentorship and career guidance </li>
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Another gap is the lack of transitional or vocational training to help bridge post-graduates into the job market. Mentoring programs provide experienced guidance and career-specific knowledge to newcomers, again, especially for women. Together with a mentor, mentees identify their aspirations, define their career goals, and get tips on CV writing to become higher valued candidates. In addition, soft skills work focused on leadership, communication, and confidence also contributes to work preparedness and career longevity. Based on testimonials, our students agree that the most important skills they learned were time management, confidence, persistence, and precision during this training. 
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<ol start="3">
<li> Sector-specific training</li>
</ol>
There are five sectors, Customer Service, Social Work, Business Administration, IT, Design, that Kiron Jordan has identified as requiring skilled workers. Creating a training program that tackles hands-on the specific skills needed for each will ease the transition through a tailored blended approach combining online and classroom-based learning to support students and provide flexibility. 
 
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With this program and many others like it, we are setting up sustainable and enriching pathways that present new career opportunities to support students in becoming self-reliant. While the future of work is dynamic and uncertain, prioritizing re-skilling enables underserved communities to adapt to any job market and reach their fullest potential.

Implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) in partnership with LOYAC, and Kiron, the Pathways to Empowerment and Self-Reliance for displacement affected Youth in Jordan (PYE) project will provide 500 young people with skills-based education and resources to excel in formal employment or entrepreneurial activities in line with the demands of the Jordanian market. Through this innovatively tailored approach, the project will enhance the social and economic empowerment and self-resilience of young Syrian refugees and other conflict-affected youth in Jordan. Kiron has officially started the sector-specific training and has already completed three months of English language training.

Re-skilling in Jordan:  A three-pronged approach to increasing employment

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