2008 Press Releases
YEP-U.S. Consulate General Career Day - Putting Young Careers on Track
Press Release
November 25, 2008
Jerusalem
For Immediate Release
The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestinian non-governmental organization Young Entrepreneurs Palestine (YEP) teamed up on November 25 to bring together representatives from over 20 Palestinian companies to discuss career options and employment opportunities with university students from nine institutions of higher learning from throughout the West Bank. The event, held in Ramallah, was the second Career Day organized by the U.S. Consulate this year, and the second annual career event to be organized in partnership with YEP.
Speaking at the opening, U.S. Consulate Consul for Press and Cultural Affairs, Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, explained that the career fair was part of U.S. government efforts to empower Palestinian youth to become active participants in shaping their own futures. She encouraged them to invest their many talents in building the foundations for a future Palestinian state. For his part, Palestinian Authority Ministry of Economy Director General for International Economic Relations Ziad Karablieh, thanked the U.S. Consulate and Young Entrepreneurs Palestine for sponsoring and organizing the event, and recognized the invaluable contributions of the other three sponsors-Portland Trust, National Beverage Company and Abu Shaqra Bookshop.
As speeches ended, students streamed into the career day hall where over 25 Palestinian companies, including Arab-Palestinian Shopping Center P.L.C., Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade), Arab Bank, Bank of Jordan, Trust International Insurance Company and the Palestinian Federation of Chambers of Commerce had set up booths to receive them. Students took full advantage of the opportunity to engage directly with potential employers to discuss job, career, and training possibilities. Meanwhile, Young Entrepreneurs Palestine members and the company representatives promoted their businesses and highlighted current recruitment programs, targeting graduating students for full-time employment upon graduation, and non-graduating students for summer, internship, and part-time opportunities. The booth maintained by the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem was also popular, with many students expressing interest in study opportunities in the U.S. Students and company representatives declared the event a success, as they reluctantly closed down the stands until the next career day.
An estimated 250 undergraduate and graduate students participated in the event from the following institutions of higher education: An-Najah National University, Birzeit University, Arab American University, Bethlehem University, Al-Quds University, Palestine Polytechnic University, Educational Sciences Faculty/Ramallah Women's Training Center, Palestine Technical Colleges/Ramallah Women's Campus, and Educational Science Faculty/Ramallah Men's Training Center.
For more information please contact the U.S. Consulate's Press Office at 02-622-6908 or 02-622-6909 or Assistant Information Officer Christina Higgins at 054-678-8501.