From skills right now to work-life ready: Zahraa’s journey towards a brighter future
How digital skills training helped Zahraa unlock her potential and build a path towards opportunity
As-Saan village, rural Hama, Syria - At 21, Zahraa from As-Saan in rural Hama, Syria once saw her future as a blur. Her days felt long, repetitive, and unproductive. Like many young people in Syria, she was unsure how to make the leap from education to employment, especially as financial challenges and family responsibilities stood in her way.
“I used to spend time on technology just for entertainment. I didn’t know how to build skills or invest my time in something that would shape my future."
That changed when she heard, through a local network, about free digital skills training offered at the UNICEF-supported adolescent-friendly space in her town. Curious and motivated, she signed up and soon discovered that what she thought would be a simple course turned was a turning point.
“The first time I created a PowerPoint presentation and shared it with my trainer and peers, I was so nervous. But when I presented it successfully, I felt like something in me had changed. I felt proud. I felt capable.”
Through the programme, Zahraa learned to use essential digital tools like Excel and presentation software, explored the basics of artificial intelligence, and gained an understanding of how to apply technology in both life and work. Just as importantly, she learned how to think like an entrepreneur and plan small-scale projects, including how to market them through social media.
Beyond technical knowledge, Zahraa’s confidence grew. She developed soft skills such as public speaking, decision-making, and time management.
“This experience made me believe in myself. It helped me realise that I don’t have to wait for opportunities, I can create them.”
For Zahraa, these skills are more than just tools; they are a pathway to independence. As the only family member at home able to work, she carries the hope of supporting her parents, both of whom have health challenges.
“Now, I know how to face life’s challenges. I can communicate more effectively and organise my time. These are things I use every day.”
Zahraa dreams of completing her university studies in business administration, working in the humanitarian field, and one day running her own business. But more than anything, she hopes other girls in her community can access similar opportunities.
“In many places, especially rural areas, girls don’t get the chance to learn skills like these. But when we do, we prove we can achieve anything. I want every young woman to feel that.”
With support from UNICEF and partners, programmes like the one Zahraa joined are equipping young people with the skills they need to move from #SkillsRightNow to #WorkLifeReady. As the world prepares for 1.2 billion young people into the job market in the next decade, the need for inclusive, accessible, and future-focused training has never been more urgent.
“There are always challenges. But each challenge is a chance to grow. Don’t give up! Your dream might be one skill away.”
Since January 2024 and in partnership with the UN Joint Programme to Strengthen Urban and Rural Resilience and the Conditions for Recovery in Syria (UNJP), the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KfW Development Bank, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the governments of Australia, Austria, Canada, Japan, and Norway, and UNICEF National Committee for Japan, UNICEF, through 43 adolescent-friendly spaces, has provided over 800,000 adolescents and young people — including more than 300,000 girls, 300,000 boys, and 26,000 persons with disabilities —across Syria with digital skills training, entrepreneurship courses, and vocational training. Opportunities like this are empowering a generation, helping young people, like Zahraa, to thrive professionally, shape their own paths, and uplift their communities.
