Jordan has a young population over 67% of Jordanians are under 30 years of age. Consequently, a large number of young people enter the labour force every year. In 2013, youth unemployment was at 31.9%, more than double the overall rate. In addition to the high levels of unemployment and low economic activity rates, especially among the youth and women, labour market segmentation (refugees and non-refugees) and job quality are critical factors of the employment situation in Jordan.
Jordan was beneficiary country of the ILO/Sida Partnership Phase 2013-2014. The ILO and the Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) worked jointly on a framework for skill testing and certification for two occupations: auto repair and printing and packaging. This pilot model was very successful.
The ILO/Sida project 2014-2015 in Jordan has its focus on the establishment and operationalization of a national apprenticeship system upgrading informal apprenticeship. This will benefit young Jordanians and Syrian refugees and strengthening capacities for an improved implementation of the National Employment Strategy (NES). Therefore, under the ILO-Sida project, there are two particular areas of intervention:
Reinforcement of capacities for a coordinated National Employment Strategy (NES) implementation in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis both at national and field levels. The National Employment Strategy - developed through a consultative process and adopted by the Cabinet during 2011 – remains a crucial element for an integrated policy response to the challenges Jordan is facing. However, little progress has been made in implementing the plan in a coordinated way. In addition, no financial resources were allocated for some components of the action plan. Today, the NES execution was shifted to the King Abdullah Fund for Development (KAFD), where a new monitoring and implementation unit has been established. The NES implementation also needs to be reassessed in the context of the refugee crisis, and aligned with the National Resilience Plan.
Propose a model for upgrading informal apprenticeship. There is a wide recognition that learning on the job actually contributes to a smoother school to work transition. However there is a lack of systemic approach for employers and education / training institutions to agree on competency standards, implement a joint training programme (in school / on the job), jointly asses and certify the student / trainee. Also, (a) various programmes that have been implemented have not been capitalized on and brought to scale, (b) informal apprenticeship practices are often abusive, especially in areas where labour demand is low, like in the northern governorates affected by the refugee crisis. There was a need for a national framework on apprenticeship system to be designed and agreed as structured apprenticeship programmes are increasingly recognised as key policy tools to facilitate school to work transitions. These programmes also give the apprentice a chance to demonstrate his/her productive potential to companies who may be otherwise reluctant to hire fresh graduates: they are an efficient instrument to tackle issues of relevance of skills development programmes and information failures that put recruitment processes at risk.
