At a time when investing in young talents drives economic development, and as part of practical steps to pump qualified new blood into the industrial sector, the Chairman of the Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Countryside, Engineer Mohamed Ayman Al-Mawlawi, met with a delegation from the "Syrian Forum – Economic Empowerment Program." The delegation included the program's Executive Director, Mr. Anas Al-Sheikh, Training Officer Ahmad Samaha, and Communications Officer Tammam Abdul Sattar. The meeting was also attended by the Chamber's Director, Mr. Wasim Saad.The meeting focused on building a joint strategic cooperation to implement a series of free vocational training and qualification programs. This initiative comes under the umbrella of the "Delni" (Guide Me) initiative and within the "Hands for Tomorrow" project. This initiative responds to current labor market challenges, aiming to bridge the gap between the skills available among youth and the actual needs of industrial facilities.The delegation reviewed the highlights of the project, which aims to empower 625 young men and women across several governorates to meet the growing demands of the labor market. In a step aimed at linking graduates with real and sustainable job opportunities in the industrial sector, the launch of this program was based on an extensive field study and inspection tours that covered approximately 3,400 factories and workshops in the targeted industrial zones. Direct meetings with facility owners focused on accurately identifying skill gaps. The study revealed that the labor market suffers from a noticeable shortage in specific specialized competencies, most notably numerical control (CNC skills), PLC, engineering design, production line management, and advanced financial and accounting skills. The initiative is not limited to training alone, but extends to follow up with graduates after employment to ensure their professional stability and future career development.The attendees agreed to activate cooperation through several practical paths to ensure maximum benefit for both the trainees and the industrial sector. The most prominent agreements include providing the program with priority needs in the industrial sector to design practical curricula directly linked to the market, securing the training environment to implement the programs according to available capabilities, and establishing practical and direct mechanisms to connect graduates with available job opportunities in industrial facilities immediately upon completing their training.The attendees stressed that the current work plan will form the core foundation upon which the commitments and tasks of each party will materialize, leading to their drafting within an integrated legal framework. It was also agreed to prepare a formal and comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed at a later stage to document this strategic cooperation
30/6/2026
