Cambridge, Alsama Project, G12++, Refugee Education, Displaced Youth, Skill Development, Vocational Training, TVET, Higher Education, Youth Employment, India, Global Education

New Delhi, May 23, 2026: Cambridge University Press & Assessment and the NGO Alsama Project have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development and global scale-up of the G12++ qualification, a new assessment-led pathway aimed at helping refugees and displaced young people access higher education, vocational training and skilled employment opportunities.

The agreement was signed during the Education World Forum in the presence of senior representatives from UNESCO and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The initiative seeks to address one of the most pressing education and employability challenges facing displaced youth: the lack of recognised academic certification despite talent, capability and learning potential.

The G12++ qualification has been designed for young people whose education has been disrupted due to conflict, displacement, migration or exclusion from formal schooling systems. It aims to provide a globally recognised alternative to traditional secondary school exit examinations, especially for learners who may not possess formal school certificates.

According to the shared update, the qualification is curriculum-agnostic, meaning it does not depend on a single national curriculum. Instead, it assesses real-life capabilities, critical thinking, soft skills and learner potential. This approach is expected to make the model relevant across different geographies, including India, while keeping it aligned with international standards.

For displaced learners, the absence of formal certification often becomes a major barrier to university admissions, vocational programmes and employment opportunities. The G12++ model seeks to bridge this recognition gap by validating learning through a structured and credible assessment process.

India is home to more than 7.76 lakh forcibly displaced people, according to UNHCR data cited in the update. Globally, there are 117.3 million forcibly displaced people, including 49 million displaced children. The data also highlights that only 9% of refugees worldwide attend higher education, compared with an average of 42% among the global population.

This gap has direct implications for education, skill development and employability ecosystems. Without recognised credentials, many displaced young people are unable to enter universities, enrol in vocational training programmes or access formal job markets, even when they possess the required ability and motivation.

For India’s education and skill development sector, the G12++ qualification may open opportunities for collaboration with universities, TVET institutions, NGOs, employers and policymakers working on inclusive education, livelihood creation and youth empowerment.

The G12++ qualification was developed by Alsama Project, an NGO based in the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon. The organisation works with teenagers who are outside formal schooling systems. The qualification was originally inspired by Alsama students themselves and was created as an alternative route for learners whose education had been interrupted.

Over the past two years, Cambridge has worked with Alsama Project to strengthen the assessment approach and support exam development. Cambridge brings extensive assessment experience, delivering assessments to more than 8 million learners every year across over 170 countries.

The first G12++ examination was launched in February 2026 in Shatila refugee camp. According to the update, several students who had earlier arrived in the camps without basic reading or numeracy skills have now earned the qualification through a rigorous assessed programme. This credential is expected to help them validate their learning and seek access to higher education, vocational training and employment pathways.

Under the new agreement, Cambridge and Alsama Project will work together to further develop the G12++ qualification and its supporting learning programme. The partnership will also focus on expanding delivery through trusted NGO partners across the world, building recognition among universities, vocational education providers and employers, engaging governments and international bodies, and working with funders to support implementation at scale.

The partners have also invited universities, employers, TVET institutions and policymakers to collaborate in scaling the G12++ qualification globally. This could create new opportunities for institutions that are already working on inclusive education, refugee support, youth skilling and employability-linked training.

Jane Mann, Managing Director, Partnership for Education, Cambridge, said the global education crisis caused by forced displacement is expected to grow as climate change and conflict continue to uproot young people. She emphasised that displaced youth in India and across the world need models that reflect their realities and help them access universities, vocational programmes and employment.

Meike Ziervogel, Co-Founder and CEO of Alsama Project, said the barrier for displaced students has not been ability, but recognition. She noted that Cambridge’s involvement strengthens the argument that a qualification developed inside a refugee camp can meet global academic benchmarks.

Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, said the partnership would support displaced and marginalised learners in India and across the world while demonstrating that high-quality assessment for such learners is achievable and replicable.

The G12++ qualification is especially significant for the global skill development and vocational training ecosystem because it connects education recognition with employability outcomes. In many countries, displaced learners are unable to prove their education levels, making it difficult for them to join formal training programmes or access skilled jobs.

By focusing on capabilities, critical thinking and real-life skills, the qualification aligns with the growing global emphasis on competency-based learning and inclusive TVET pathways. For India, where skill development programmes increasingly focus on access, inclusion and employability, such models may offer useful lessons for supporting vulnerable and displaced communities.

The initiative also highlights the need for stronger coordination between assessment bodies, NGOs, universities, training providers, employers and governments. Recognition of prior learning, alternative certification and flexible learning pathways are becoming important tools for ensuring that young people are not excluded from opportunity due to documentation gaps or disrupted schooling.

The partnership between Cambridge and Alsama Project marks an important step toward building inclusive education and employment pathways for displaced youth. The G12++ qualification has the potential to create a bridge between disrupted learning and recognised opportunity, particularly for young people who have been left outside formal systems due to conflict, displacement or marginalisation.

For India and the wider global TVET ecosystem, the initiative signals a growing need to design education and skill development models that are flexible, credible and inclusive. As universities, employers and policymakers look for new ways to widen access, the G12++ qualification could become an important model for recognising talent beyond traditional schooling systems.