The project focuses on strengthening practical and technical skills required to create sustainable employment opportunities, encouraging the establishment of entrepreneurial ventures linked to agricultural and food value chains, with particular emphasis on women’s and youth empowerment.

A total of 50 trainees (men and women) were selected from 93 applicants to participate in the training, which was conducted based on the official FAO training manual. The program covered a range of essential topics, including entrepreneurship, agricultural value chains, design thinking, job market readiness, and financial and environmental feasibility analysis.

The training was implemented by a team of expert trainers — Dr. Tawfiq Al-Qubaj, Dr. Ola Anabtawi, and Dr. Ahmad Za’zou’ — under the supervision and coordination of Dr. Hiba Fares, the Project Coordinator at An-Najah National University.

Participants were selected through a transparent and systematic process to ensure fairness and equal opportunity, based on the following criteria:

• Age (20%): Applicants had to be under 29 years old; older candidates were deemed ineligible.
• Year of graduation (30%): Higher points were awarded to 2020 graduates, and lower points to students in their final academic semester.
• Interview performance and personal attributes (50%): Evaluation focused on enthusiasm for work in the agri-food sector and relevant practical experience.

This training represents the first step in a series of capacity-building activities designed to strengthen youth participation in the agri-food sector and support the broader objectives of sustainable development, food security, and green entrepreneurship in Palestine.