Work-Based Learning and Employability Officer - IREX, Forsah TVET
Who We Are
IREX is a global development and education organization. We strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive. With a projected annual portfolio of more than $100 million and more than 600 staff worldwide, we work with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.
In conjunction with the Senior Career Development Services Officer, the Work-Based Learning and Employability Officer will implement a strategy to support USAID-funded Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions with the establishment or advancement of career development centers (CDCs) and work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for students. They will build strong relationships with the public sector, TVET institutions, and youth to create sustainable on-the-job training and collaboration mechanisms that meet public sector needs in the workplace, instructor learning objectives in the classroom, and student expectations for skills and relationships development. They will work collaboratively with unit colleagues and consortium partners.
We are doers. Our decades of on-the-ground experience help us create greater impact, practical recommendations, and lasting partnerships.
Are you the next member of our team?
Your Daily Tasks
- Work with the public sector, TVET institutions, and youth to create sustainable on-the-job training and collaboration mechanisms that meet public sector needs in the workplace, instructor learning objectives in the classroom, and student expectations for skills and relationships development.
- Strengthen TVET and public sector firm staff work-based learning skills, mentoring, and collaboration.
- Work with TVET institutions and public sector stakeholders to develop key work-based learning resources, policies, and processes.
- Link work-based learning enhancements with private sector engagement mechanisms.
- Work with TVET institutions and private sector stakeholders to improve the quality of interactions to build trust, accountability, and processes.
- Apply positive youth development (PYD) approaches and Do No (More) Harm approaches and address Gender and Disability Inclusion considerations and Environmental considerations in their work.
- Other duties, as assigned.
- Maintain communication and relationships with private sector stakeholders.
- Work with private sector stakeholders to build intergenerational dialogue, gender equity and social inclusion (GESI), and positive youth development (PYD) skills and approaches.
- Promote awareness and early firm engagement (especially among start-ups and small businesses).
- Work with TVET institutions and private sector stakeholders to share impact stories from assisted firms to highlight long-term benefits of TVET-private sector-youth collaboration.
- Build and maintains collaborative working relationship with colleagues, consortium partners, and network of program stakeholders.
- Cultivate durable partnerships, facilitate locally-led designs, use evidence-based decision-making, and ensure sustainability of approaches in their work.
- Contribute to unit data collection, analysis, reporting to USAID and on-going Collaboration, Learning, and Adaptation (CLA) approaches in their work and in coordination with Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) colleagues.
- Contribute to timely and accurate reporting and other deliverables to USAID.
- Contribute to Technical and Vocational Capacity Assessment Tool (TVCAT) Assessment adaptation, activities, and reporting, as assigned.
- Contribute to proper budget management and financial spending for program components.
- All Forsah TVET staff will meet high standards of financial management and compliance, including contributing to accurate and timely vetting under Mission Order 21 (MO21).
- Work closely with TVETs to assess cost-economy and complete financial modelling to inform sustainable cost structures and market-based strategies.
- Work collaboratively to support the program to adaptively respond to changes in the operating environment to meet the desired objectives.
- Contribute to activities that are gender sensitive/transformative, align with positive youth development, and emphasize participatory and youth-led approaches.
- Support the establishment, cultivation, and maintaining of relationships with the ecosystem of program stakeholders, including public sector entities, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and local governments, donors and implementers, program beneficiaries, and others.
- Employ creativity to adapt to learning and challenges throughout implementation.
- Build a collaborative team approach between and with colleagues, partners, TVET institutions, and other stakeholders to ensure effective programming under unit team.
- Contribute to programmatic cross-cutting themes are applied and incorporated in all plans, activities, and reporting, including PYD, GESI, and Green approaches.
- Monitor implementation challenges, develop creative solutions, and keep others informed.
- Monitor assigned activities for security challenges; work with colleagues and partners to address or adapt to security challenges.
- Ensure activities support sustainable approaches to improve capacity of individuals and institutions to drive stable, long-term improvements.
Your Background & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Economics, International Development, social sciences, or a related field.
- Minimum of 3+ years of progressive experience in technical and vocational education strengthening, workforce development, youth development, and/or private sector engagement in Palestine or the MENA region.
- Demonstrated experienced in career services: private sector, faculty, and alumni engagement; experience developing, trialing and institutionalizing work-based learning/apprenticeships with the private sector.
- Understanding of the economic, educational, and youth contexts in Palestine.
- Familiarity with best practices in youth programming.
- Demonstrated success in working with educational institutions.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders including youth, government ministries and officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donors, the private sector, and community-based institutions.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including conflict resolution abilities.
- Strong representational and organizational skills.
- Commitment to inclusive programming that encourages full participation of individual regardless of gender, disability status, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or other marginalized status.
- Must be fluent in English and Arabic.
- You must have unrestricted authorization to work in Gaza City, Gaza
How to Apply:
We conduct background checks on all successful candidates.
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
EOE – Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets.