“Accommodating the Outcomes of Media Education with the Labor Market’s Requirement”
Young researchers participating in the “Strengthening Democratic Participation of Young Palestinians” project continue to present their papers in this episode of “Youth Participates” program. The project is implemented by Pal-Think for Strategic Studies and funded by the Government of Canada. During this episode, Yasmin Aldreamly and Nourhan Altabatibi discuss their joint paper.
Altabatibi started the discussion about the inefficient orientation of faculties of media towards digital media, claiming that the researchers feel it is crucial to give special attention to digital media, and the importance of developing faculties of media to keep up with modern tools and means used in the field of media and new media today. She also discussed interviews with academics about their universities’ vision to provide an educational environment capable of improving the students’ abilities and compatibility with the market. She also referred to a survey the researchers conducted with students about their opinions regarding the obstacles media graduates face upon their graduation as they mostly thought it is caused by the Israeli blockade. The researchers recommended filling the gap with courses and skills to integrate students in the market in an effort to decrease the need to resort to taking post-graduation training courses to fill the gap; saving them effort and funds.
During a phone call, Reuters journalist and University of Palestine lecturer Fadi Shana’a said that faculties of media were still focused on theoretical lecturing rather than skill-based training; which creates a shock felt by the graduates of that faculty upon their interaction with the market. He described college courses as sterile and in need to be reconsidered and replaced by more modernized courses that take into consideration professional and practical updates. He also thought the problem persists at the level of all media faculties in Palestine, who in turn need to rethink their strategic goals to fit with the market needs and set on a path of development.
This was the seventh of eleven episodes of the “Youth Participate” program planned to air the presentation and findings of the young researchers within the “Strengthening Democratic Participation of Young Palestinians” project which extends Pal-Think’s mission to empower the Palestinian youth and equip them with tools necessary to lead the change they wish to create in Palestine.
