Skills Development and Employment Services for the Construction Sector in the Gaza Strip

The 2009 incursion and the continued tight closures on the Gaza Strip have had severe repercussions on the livelihoods, homes and infrastructure of thousands of Palestinians. The ban on the import of construction materials into Gaza is also severely hampering reconstruction efforts. As a result, thousands of men, women and children continue to live in broken shelters, under tents or in makeshift shelters. The unemployment rate (estimated at 38.7 percent in 2009) remains amongst the highest in the world and the population in Gaza continues to live in deep poverty (with an estimated 70 percent living below $1 a day).1 According to the Palestinian Authority, 4,036 housing units were destroyed and a further 11,514 were partially damaged during the conflict. Government buildings, water, energy and communications infrastructure, educational establishments and hospitals all sustained significant damage. Based on the mapping of vocational education and training in the oPt (ILO, 2009), the construction sector was identified as one of the most promising sectors, representing 21 percent of national GDP and involving 30 percent of private workers prior to the crisis. Today, the construction industry employs only 1% of the total labour force in Gaza (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 2009). Due to continued closures, the local construction industry cannot cope with the reconstruction challenges – a situation which is further exacerbated by the expanding gap between labour demand and supply, in view of the shortage in appropriate skills to address the reconstruction efforts. Within the above context and to lay the groundwork for the reconstruction efforts for Gaza, the ILO analysed the main skills and management gaps in the construction sector and implemented a training programme targeting local contractors. The capacity building programme introduced an alternative technology for the construction and winterization of temporary shelters using compressed earth blocks without the use of cement or other standard materials. The success of this intervention led to the establishment of a strategic partnership with UNRWA with the aim of targeting, in the future, an increased number of beneficiaries and integrating the programme within UNRWA’s curriculum. In addition, the ILO partnered with the Sharek Youth Forum (a national youth institution) and opened an entrepreneurship information centre which will provide counselling, technical assistance and financial support to young entrepreneurs and promote self-employment opportunities. These strategic partnerships served as key entry points for the ILO to support reconstruction efforts using innovative and sustainable techniques, advocating for the promotion of green jobs in view of the high potential in the construction sector.

Project symbol

PAL/10/01/SDC

Admin unit

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

Start date

01/01/2011

End date

28/02/2013

Total allocation

493087

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

492863

Development Partners

Switzerland, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Country/Countries

State of Palestine

Outcomes

More and better jobs for inclusive growth and improved youth employment prospects