Vocational education and training - VET

On 24 January – International Education Day, which this year had a theme of ‘learning for lasting peace’ – the UN said in a joint statement that learning had been “devastated” in the “catastrophic conditions” of war in the Gaza strip.

“Education is a fundamental human right and critical lifeline for the millions of children and young people affected by the war, and it must be sustained even throughout this crisis. Ending the conflict is imperative to enable Palestinian students and educators to begin to rebuild the foundations for a safe return to learning.”

But when asked by NPR how the destruction of universities will affect how young people in Gaza think, Al-Israa University’s Vice President Ahmed Alhussaina said: “This generation, let’s call it Z Generation, since 2000, they haven’t seen nothing but wars on Gaza. They were trying to live, trying to, you know, let things go. But God knows what their psychology is [now], their emotion. I think 99% of them need mental health therapy.”

This article addresses the impact of accelerated technological development on the world of work, the main characteristics of the new expected generation of workers (Generation Z), and the unique demands placed on educational systems. The educational systems must adapt to society's expectations in the 21st century to remain relevant in a world with uncertainty regarding the labor market.

There have been 439 Palestinians from the university community killed and 11 higher education buildings completely or partially damaged since the start of the Israel-Palestine war on 7 October, according to the Palestinian government. Higher education has been severely disrupted.

The Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) posted a “Summary of violations against Palestinians in the higher education sector” to its Facebook page on Monday 6 November.