Sixty-three thousand students are in the spotlight as a major strategic partnership shapes the future of technical education and the labor market in Syria. In a step aimed at ending the traditional gap between academic seats and the production field, Eng. Muhammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi, Chairman of the Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Countryside, met with Dr. Mustafa Al-Mawaldi, Secretary of the Supreme Council for Technical Education at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. They were accompanied by Mr. Alaa Yahya, Advisor to the Violet Organization, in the presence of Mr. Wasim Saad, Director of the Chamber. The meeting aimed to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the technical institutes sector and the private sector, and to provide outstanding training and employment opportunities for thousands of students.During the meeting, Dr. Mustafa Al-Mawaldi stressed that the main objective of the meeting is to introduce the technical institutes and their specialized fields. He revealed that the Ministry currently supervises 243 technical institutes, with an educational sector comprising approximately 63,000 male and female students. He pointed out that these students are in dire need of building direct communication channels with the labor market, noting a clear gap in the vocational training sector between theoretical study and practical application. He stressed the need to take practical steps to bridge this gap by securing sufficient and appropriate training opportunities for students within private sector facilities, qualifying and enabling students to transition into the labor market with higher efficiency, and focusing on technical institutes as the main supplier of human resources to industrial facilities.For his part, Eng. Muhammad Ayman Al-Mawlawi expressed the Chamber's full readiness to develop prospects for continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, describing this cooperation as a strategic and vital project that will positively reflect on graduates and industrial facilities facing a shortage of qualified cadres. Al-Mawlawi called for launching executive steps on the ground, including a comprehensive review of all available specializations, and making fundamental changes in educational curricula to keep pace with rapid industrial development. In addition, he suggested studying the establishment of new specialized institutes or merging some existing ones, so that they all come under the umbrella and supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to unify the educational vision.In turn, Mr. Alaa Yahya revealed preparations for launching a unique project conference and exhibition called "Jousour" (Bridges). The conference aims to form an interactive platform and completely bridge the gap between the technical institutes sector, industrial sectors, and private institutions, ensuring that students' projects and innovations are displayed and linked directly to investing entities. He explained that a pilot model will be tested for companies wishing to attract young talents, and emphasized the pivotal role of chambers of industry and commerce as the essential tool for accessing the market, noting that the organization's role is focused on providing support and creating a positive competitive environment to support the technical education sector
9/7/2026
