European Parliament Study: Guarantees and Loans for Inclusive Development

A research project in partnership with the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) The European Parliament has published an ECOPER paper on the implementation of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) operations from an inclusive perspective. By providing guarantees and subsidies for loans, as well as capital investments, the EFSD+ is expected to …

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Private sector partnerships to address water scarcity

The MENA region is the area of the world most acutely affected by water scarcity. UNICEF views partnerships and engagements with the business sector as being a crucial component in the response to the crisis and has commissioned ECOPER to conduct a ‘Study on private sector engagements and partnerships to support response to the climate …

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Tracer study for TVET system reform

UNESCO has published an ECOPER tracer study report on agriculture TVET in Jordan Reducing mismatches between the skills demanded by employers and those actually acquired by students is an important contributor to improving employability and supporting economic growth. Multiple studies conducted by international agencies in the last decade have found that skills mismatches are particularly …

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Tourism and hospitality TVET tracer study

UNESCO has published an ECOPER report on a tourism and hospitality TVET tracer study in Jordan Tracer studies are invaluable tools for informing education system reforms, potentially providing rich data for future decision making and planning. This month UNESCO published a ‘Tracer Study of Tourism and Hospitality Vocational Secondary Education in Jordan’, which was conducted …

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Agriculture TVET in Jordan

ECOPER has reported on its tracer study of former agriculture TVET students in Jordan. The study aimed to collect information from the students on areas such as their education, current occupation and school-to-work transition. The conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the researchers used an online approach to data collection. A survey was distributed by text message and focus groups were conducted via videoconference to gather further insights. These methods proved to be both efficient and well-suited to the conditions.

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TVET scholarships for refugees and vulnerable youth

ECOPER has completed the external evaluation of the UNESCO project ‘Provision of TVET, On‐ the‐Job Training, and Entrepreneurship Education to Youth Affected by the Syria Crisis in Jordan (Phase III).’ The project sought to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian youths who need financial support to access technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education programmes at national institutions in Jordan. The evaluation differed from others in that it was conducted entirely online, owing to the travel restrictions and health measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, interviews and focus groups with project stakeholders and beneficiaries were conducted via videoconference. Meanwhile, a student satisfaction survey was conducted using an online survey platform, following distribution of the questionnaire by text message. The use of these approaches allowed data to be successfully collected despite the challenges provided by the backdrop.

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Vocational education in tourism and hospitality

Tourism is one of the most important sectors in the Jordanian economy but faces several challenges, including a lack of suitably qualified workers. This tracer study by ECOPER researchers aimed to collect feedback from former students of the tourism and hospitality stream of vocational programmes run by the Ministry of Education. In doing so, it …

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TVET for Syrian refugees and Jordanian vulnerable youth

The provision of good quality TVET is an important tool for enhancing the career prospects of young people. The UNESCO project ‘Provision of TVET Opportunities for Syrian and Vulnerable Jordanian Youth in Jordan’ aimed to provide support in accessing TVET and ECOPER evaluators have submitted their report on the external evaluation and tracer study related to the project. The evaluation aimed to assess Phase II of the project, while the tracer study aimed to assess the impact of the project’s first phase, by surveying former students on their current occupations and impressions of the education programme.

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