UNESCO scholarship helps young Jordanian find her passion
Meet Rand Alyaseem, 21, from Jordan. In 2017, she saw an advertisement online for scholarship opportunities being offered at Luminus Technical University College (Al Quds College) and was able to take part in a technical vocational education and training (TVET) programme.
“First, I didn’t tell anyone and went alone to submit my application,” says Rand. “Then, I told my parents. They were so supportive as they value education and want me to be happy.”
Rand grew up in Amman, the youngest of four siblings. She did not succeed at Tawjihi (Secondary School Certificate) but was not in despair. She says: “Tawjihi doesn’t represent an insurmountable object. If you don’t pass it, your life does not stop. There is so much ahead and so many ways to improve yourself. When I saw the TVET scholarships, I was eager to learn valuable skills.”
The scholarships are offered as part of the UNESCO “Provision of TVET for vulnerable Jordanian and Syrian Refugee Youth” project, implemented in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Korea. The project is carried out by the UNESCO Amman office, which has been taking a leadership role in contributing to the realization of the global education goals.
Rand was among those at risk of being “left behind” but was soon accepted into an art and design programme. She rose to become one of the top performers in her class and completed her coursework and on-the-job training in 2018. Rand began searching for a job in design and media, matching her competencies, and right after graduation, she found the perfect fit.
Rand smiles when she speaks about her job. “I work at a social media/marketing firm called ‘Boom Media’ in Amman,” she says. “I love my team and know that having the right people makes a huge difference. I love learning and expanding every day and felt prepared by my training, especially in terms of the graphic design and soft skills training.”
She says: “when I was young, I wanted to be a fashion designer and I have always been artistic. Now that I am older, media is my passion. I think that taking small steps to improve each day is important. One day, I’d like to be in charge of graphic design at the firm. I won’t stop until I make a footprint on society.” Rand continues to build her interests and does volunteer work in her free time.
Through this scholarship programme, UNESCO have been working to support young people access meaningful, accredited post-basic education. In 2019, 111 vulnerable Jordanian youth and 135 Syrian refugee youth were enrolled in TVET studies in a series of six disciplines.