The main HELIOS objective is to reduce the high rates of NEETs and unemployment women in the Mediterranean region, scheduling training courses in Blue and Circular Economy, two sectors of potential growth capable of absorbing new workers.

To reach this important goal is vital to establish synergies with other projects with similar goals to increase and to capitalize on the results achieved.

For this reason, HELIOS staff from Palestine, UCAS, conveyed a synergy meeting with the SAWA project.

This project is funded by the European Union and managed by Enabel-Gaza.

SAWA project aims to contribute to economic resilience in the Gaza Strip through enhancing the resilience and sustainability of micro-businesses in the Gaza Strip and initiating sustainable and innovative green/circular economy initiatives.

During this synergy meeting, the UCAS team provided a more detailed outline of HELIOS project activities already completed or planned, and an extremely fruitful discussion ensued on how activity results, particularly a well-trained NEET’s (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in the blue and circular economy, might be shared for the benefits of incubation opportunities held by SAWA project which implemented by Enabel agency and funded by EU.

Some of the suggested synergies included exchanging SAWA project studies on the challenges facing the industrial sector related to the green and circular economy in the Gaza Strip and attempting to reflect this in the HELIOS project’s training material.

Other synergies included exchanging well-trained lists and sharing information on the HELIOS learning platform so that more people, private sectors, and interested key stakeholders may navigate the HELIOS portal and take use of training materials. Also taking part in a workshop that focuses on the labor market related to the green and circular economy.