Opening of a professional unit for beauty and skin care at Deir Al-Ghusoun Secondary Girls School, with an official and international presence

Tulkarm - Ofoq News - Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and with the support of the Government of Japan, opened a professional unit specialized in cosmetology and skin care at Deir Al-Ghusoun Girls’ Secondary School in Tulkarm Governorate, within the project “Supporting livelihoods and economic recovery through accelerated skills training for Palestinian youth,” in the presence of the Minister of Education and Higher Education, A. D. Amjad Barham, and the Governor of Tulkarm, Major General Dr. Abdullah Kamil, and the University President, A. D. Hussein Shank, the Japanese Ambassador to Palestine, Mr. Araki Katsuhiko, and the Head of the UNESCO Office in Palestine, Mr. Karim Al-Hindili, along with representatives of official, local and educational institutions, the school administration, the teaching and administrative bodies, and the school’s female students.

The opening of the unit comes within the framework of joint efforts to develop vocational and technical education, and provide specialized training environments that allow female students to acquire practical skills related to the needs of the labor market, and enhance their opportunities to join work or establish their own projects, which contributes to supporting the economic empowerment of women and enhancing livelihoods in Palestinian society.

In turn, the Minister of Education and Higher Education, A. D. Amjad Barham, in his speech, highlighted the importance of continuing to develop vocational and technical education in Palestine, praising the support provided by the government and people of Japan, and the efforts of UNESCO and its partners in supporting the Palestinian education sector, especially in light of the difficult circumstances facing our people.

Dr. Barham pointed out that the opening of the unit represents a new achievement in the process of developing vocational education, and reflects the strategic directions of the Ministry aimed at empowering students and qualifying them with practical skills that will help them integrate into the labor market, stressing the importance of continuing international and local partnerships in supporting this path and providing quality training opportunities for Palestinian youth.

He added that the challenges the education sector is witnessing, including the damage to schools in the Gaza Strip and the closure of schools in Jerusalem, do not detract from the determination of the Palestinian educational family to continue its educational mission, stressing that teachers, male and female, and students embody the will of the Palestinian people to persevere, learn, create, and adhere to their right to education on their land.

He pointed out that the Ministry continues to work on expanding the vocational and technical education system, announcing the aspiration to open new vocational technical schools and convert another school in Tulkarm Governorate to the vocational track, in a way that enhances the educational options available to students and responds to the needs of society and the labor market.

For his part, the Governor of Tulkarm, Major General Dr. Abdullah Kamil said that applied and vocational education has become an urgent need, in light of the rapid changes and requirements of the labor market, indicating that many countries of the world are moving towards strengthening vocational and technical education as an essential path for preparing competencies and qualifying young people with the necessary practical skills.

Major General Dr. stressed. Kamil supported the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education and expanding its scope, stressing that this type of education has become a basic requirement and a development necessity that contributes to providing better opportunities for students, and enhances their ability to integrate into the labor market and contribute to building society.

The governor appreciated Japan's political positions in support of the Palestinian people and its support for them, stressing the Palestinian people's pride in Palestinian-Japanese relations and the depth of the bonds of cooperation and solidarity they reflect, especially in light of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people. He also expressed his appreciation for UNESCO and the international institutions that continue to work alongside the Palestinian people and contribute to supporting vital sectors, especially education and vocational training, noting that the Palestinian people aspire to live in freedom and stability, and that their ambition is to prepare educated and qualified generations capable of creativity and excellence, leading to achieving freedom and independence and establishing the independent Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital.

In the same context, the President of Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, A. D. Hussein Shank said that the opening of the beauty and skin care unit reflects the importance of investing in people, and providing education and training opportunities that help Palestinian youth develop their abilities and face challenges, noting that the project embodies a model of effective partnership between national and international institutions in serving society and enhancing development opportunities.

Shank explained that linking education to the needs of society and the labor market represents an increasing necessity in light of the current circumstances, pointing out that the unit gives female students an opportunity to acquire professional and practical skills in a specialized educational environment, and helps them explore new paths of work and production, thus enhancing their chances of obtaining jobs or establishing their own projects in the future.

Prof. Dr. Shank confirmed that Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, based on its educational and community mission, is proud of its partnership in implementing the project and contributing to equipping the vocational unit, and with the technical and knowledge expertise it possesses that can be employed to support training programs, develop skills, and enhance youth opportunities for economic integration. He expressed his aspiration for the unit to become a sustainable space for learning, practical application, and achievement, and to constitute a starting point towards broader opportunities for female students and success stories that reflect the impact of development partnerships on the lives of individuals and communities.

In the same context, the Japanese Ambassador to Palestine, Mr. Araki Katsuhiko, expressed his happiness at participating in the opening of the professional unit, offering congratulations to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, UNESCO, and all partners who contributed to achieving this achievement.

He stressed that Japan continues to support the Palestinian people in their efforts to develop the economy and provide sustainable livelihoods, noting that the Japanese-Palestinian partnership extends for decades, and that the total Japanese aid provided since 1993 amounted to about 2.8 billion US dollars.

The Ambassador stressed that acquiring professional skills constitutes a first step towards building a more stable economic future, calling on female students to continue learning, developing their skills and taking advantage of the available training opportunities, stressing at the same time the importance of providing a supportive environment that helps them access job opportunities or establish their own projects, by acquiring administrative and marketing knowledge and facilitating access to information and job opportunities. He also affirmed Japan's continued solidarity with the Palestinian people in light of the difficult humanitarian and economic circumstances, stressing the importance of combining response to urgent needs, supporting sustainable development, and building capabilities that enhance self-reliance.

For his part, the head of the UNESCO office in Palestine, Mr. Karim Al-Hindili, stressed that continuing construction and production and providing opportunities for young people, despite the challenges and difficulties, represents an investment in people and an enhancement of society’s ability to withstand, pointing out that developing professional and training units contributes to building productive capabilities and opening new horizons for work and self-reliance.

He pointed out that these units provide female students with opportunities for practical training and to acquire skills that can be employed in the future in the labor market or benefited from in establishing private projects, stressing that economic empowerment of women is not limited to providing job opportunities, but also contributes to enhancing their independence and their role in economic and social development.

Al-Hindili valued the partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, the Japanese support, and the cooperation of Tulkarm Governorate, the municipality of Deir Al-Ghusoun, and the school administration, stressing the importance of continuing cooperation to develop vocational training and link it to the needs of the labor market.

For her part, the director of Deir Al-Ghusoun Girls’ Secondary School, Sakina Alian, explained that the opening of the unit represents a launch for the specialty of cosmetology and skin care within the home economics branch, through a specialized training space equipped with the necessary technologies and supplies, allowing the students to gain practical experience and expand their educational and professional options.

She stressed that this achievement is the result of cooperation and integration between partners and supporting institutions, appreciating the support of the Government of Japan, the efforts of UNESCO, the partnership with Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie, the interest of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Directorate of Education in Tulkarm, and the follow-up of Tulkarm Governorate and the municipality of Deir Al-Ghusun.

Alyan stressed the school’s aspiration for the unit to be a space for learning, creativity and production, and to contribute to preparing female students who possess the skills and confidence needed to build their professional futures, expressing her hope that initiatives that support vocational education and provide broader opportunities for Palestinian youth will continue.

The opening of the unit comes in the context of efforts aimed at strengthening vocational and technical education, expanding practical training opportunities for female students, in line with the requirements of local development and the labor market, and strengthening partnerships between educational, national and international institutions. The project also represents a model of cooperation that utilizes available expertise and capabilities to develop professional educational environments capable of making a sustainable impact on the lives of students and society.