The two studies presented in this publication are based on empirical field research work and were prepared as part of the Education and Labour Market project.

The strategies used in preparation of the studies include surveying the opinions and attitudes of various social groups (schoolboys and schoolgirls themselves, their parents, the staff of general schools, vocational schools and universities, and employers and employees in various sectors of the economy). This made it possible to analyse the close links between education, employment and the labour market from a variety of stakeholder perspectives.

One of the studies explored the job expectations of girls and boys in grades 9 and 12, and boys and girls attending vocational schools, bearing in mind that in the Libyan education system pupils specialise from grade 10 upward. These expectations were then compared with the actual employment situation. The second study focused on labour market study and a comparison of supply and demand. It explored the self-assessment of key competencies that young people had acquired in various educational and training institutions. These were compared with the competencies in demand among businesses and institutions in economic growth sectors in Libya.

Both studies are the result of interdisciplinary teamwork involving close and daily cooperation between international experts and a considerable number of Libyan experts.