Career guidance manager
UNRWA
Total years of experience :33 years, 11 Months
• Head of Placement and Career Guidance unit, leading a team of 9 Registrars & Student Counselors, 2 Student Counselors at Vocational Training Centers, 3 Career Guidance Specialists and 1 Administrative Support. The main goal is to assist students better choose their future career that suit their interests and capacities in line with labor market.
• Devise strategy and activity plan for UNRWA schools in Lebanon as well as guiding on central Career Guidance strategy for The West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Syria fields.
• Implement strategy in 9 UNRWA secondary schools, as well as 41 preparatory schools, covering a total of 6269 students.
• Organise career guidance activities, such as visits to vocational centres and university academic fairs, in collaboration with partners, for students.
• Supervise the career guidance website for Lebanon field (WEBSITE: careerguidance.unrwa.org) and Introduce career guidance information system
• Work with European Training Foundation to train career guidance counselors.
• Establish relationships with employers to identify opportunities for graduates and refugees.
• Conduct job surveys and studies in the field, in coordination with the Field Education Officer and Principals of Training Centers.
• Provide skills development and training in interview skills, job searching and applications.
• Form partnerships and maintain relationships with vocational centre’s, universities and career guidance training providers.
• Prepare monthly reports on Field Placement activities and quarterly reports on the employment status of Vocational Trade and Technical Trade graduates.
• Conduct outreach meetings with the local community (Parents, NGOs and Teachers) to equip them with the necessary knowledge to accurately advise students on career matters.
• Explore the employment opportunities within the Field for Vocational and Teacher Training graduates and for other graduating refugees.
• Conduct/assist in conducting job surveys or studies in the Field in coordination with the Field Education Officer and Principals of Training Centers.
• Compile and maintains up to date records and statistical data on the employment opportunities secured for different specializations in the Field and abroad.
• Assists Registrars/Counselors/Alumni Officers at the training centers and School Supervisor (Guidance & Counseling) at the Educational Development Centre in the preparation of informative programmes (films, slides, pamphlets, posters, brochures etc.) on career guidance.
• Assist new and experienced graduates of Vocational Training Centers and other graduating refugees in filling application forms and ensuring that they meet the requirements of the related vacancies.
• Prepare monthly reports on Field Placement activities and quarterly reports on the employment status of Vocational Trade and Technical Trade graduates.
• Conduct workshops and training sessions to UNRWA VTCs and community on job coaching skills
• Over and above normal duties as Placement & Career Guidance Assistant, worked on UNRWA Scholarship Programme:
• Screen the applications and prepare the lists of qualified candidates according to the set criteria for scholars.
• Issue letters of agreement of the acceptance terms of scholarships to students.
• Follow up on the periodic provision of proper documentation during the individual scholar’s duration of study.
• Discuss the scholars’ problems may raised with stakeholders (scholars, university, parents, advisory committee).
• Conduct orientation sessions to UNRWA students and local community on the scholarships programme
• Draft responses to petitions as they may arrive
• Communicate with universities to follow up on the scholars’ status especially their performance.
• Communicate with the advisory committees of the scholarships programme to prepare for the meetings and discuss the petitions and problems raised from scholars.
• Supervise the issuing of the announcements to the students and community regarding the scholarships, dates, criteria, applications and etc…
• Prepare the installments of the scholars to be paid to the universities.
• Draft initial project proposals, progress and final reports.
• Maintain the files of the scholars.
• Respond to the donors’ quires.
• Initiated and devised strategy for the first drop-out programme in UNRWA Lebanon.
• Lead a team of 5 area assistants to identify drop-out students, counsel them and search for options for reintegration into school, vocational training, work opportunities or apprenticeships.
• Formulate strategy for drop-outs to be implemented in all UNRWA schools in Lebanon.
• Map out, and assess quality of, Vocational Training centres.
• Conduct VET courses to dropout students in cooperation with Palestinian NGOs and Vocational Schools.
• Coach and train drop-outs in job skills, job applications and interview skills.
• Maintain information system of drop-outs.
• Organize a workshop in cooperation with American University of Beirut and Issam Fares Institute to identify solutions for reducing dropout rates among the Palestinians in Lebanon. This resulted in the implementation of a study of dropouts in UNRWA schools.
• Organize workshops with NGOs to outline the community’s role in supporting dropout students.
• Work with Placement & Career Guidance Unit to refer graduates of vocational training programmes for employment.
• Report regularly to the management of the Education Programme on the dropout problems and make recommendations on the necessary preventative measures.
• Teach subjects in the approved curriculum to a class in the cycle of basic education.
• Prepare daily work plan and a term plan to cover the school year.
• Prepare and correct exercises, examinations and assignments.
• Maintain discipline and order in the classroom and in the school compound.
• Guide parents regarding progress and development, or lack thereof, of children in the class.
• Participate in the school co-curricular activities as and when required.
• Prepare the income statement, Bids and Balance Sheet.
• Control all financial and administrative issues for workers.
• Work with illiterate children and adults.
• Development and implementation of a new literacy manual on illiterate children and adults.
• Train six literacy teachers from different associations on literacy teaching techniques.
• Teach literacy session initiated by UNICEF in Burj al Barajneh camp.
• Monitor illiterate persons with home visits and assessment of the students' progress.
• Participate in the Learning through Action and Creative Expression Projects for Palestinian children in Lebanon.
• Record, classify and categorize books and materials on the library
• In addition to the librarian duties, prepare files for all crafts and vocations including: Collecting data, articles, research, videos and photographs.
Business Studies (Management)
Masters in Education Thesis: • Evaluation of efforts to eradicate illiteracy in the Palestinian society in Lebanon 1996