Conference 01: "Developing and Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World", Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, March 2017

The first (1) conference was held with the gracious hospitality of the Ministry of Employment, Vocational Training and Information and Communication Technologies of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, with the participation of delegations from thirteen Arab countries and a number of regional and international organizations. The conference discussed the topic of "Developing and Enhancing Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World" through the following reference documents: "The Reality of Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab Countries", "Successful International Experiences in the Field of Technical and Vocational Education and Emerging Trends", and "Developing Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World (A Proposed Vision)".

The following decision and recommendations were issued by the conference:

• Decision: After presenting the vision of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) "Developing Technical and Vocational Education in the Arab World", the conference resolves:

1. To adopt the presented document as a general framework for developing technical and vocational education in the Arab World.
2. To form the following working groups:

- The working group for establishing professional qualification frameworks / Coordinator: Morocco.

- The standard indicators group / Coordinator: Egypt.

- The professional profiling group / Coordinator: Saudi Arabia.

- The partnerships and financing group / Coordinator: Mauritania.

3. The conference approves holding a periodic conference every two years, and calls upon the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization to take the necessary measures to present it to the General Conference of the Organization.

First: Recommendations directed to the Arab countries: Calling upon the Arab countries to:

1. Establish contact points that facilitate the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization's access to the data and information needed to issue periodic reports and exchange information among countries through the ALECSO Arab Observatory.
2. Develop mechanisms to involve the private sector and community and civil society organizations in planning, financing, implementing and evaluating technical and vocational education.
3. Link policies for developing technical and vocational education to the current and future needs of the labor market at the national and Arab levels, and enact legislation and laws regulating the labor market and skilled labor, in order to improve wages based on professional and skill competency.
4. Introduce positive concepts about technical and vocational education into general education through guidance, counseling and entrepreneurship.

• Recommendations directed to the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization: Calling upon ALECSO to:

1. Develop practical mechanisms to obtain data on technical education, its qualifications, and the labor markets' needs for its graduates, making them available and disseminating them, and communicating with countries to appoint a liaison officer.
2. Develop an Arab qualifications framework that guides preparation systems, facilitates the movement of students between institutions, and between Arab countries and the labor market, and enables the development of the plans and strategies needed to develop the technical and vocational education system in the Arab countries.
3. Develop performance indicators that enable monitoring and evaluation of the returns of the technical and vocational education system in the Arab World based on approved international standards such as integration standards and the operational map.
4. Develop a mechanism for exchanging Arab experiences and expertise in the field of technical and vocational education, and making them available on a website dedicated to technical and vocational education.
5. Calling upon the Organization to establish a Technical and Vocational Training Department.