The project aims to assist the Jordanian government as well as workers’ and employers’ representatives to tackle youth employment issues through various Active Labour Market initiatives such as enhancing apprenticeships and building the job-creating businesses to upgrade skills sets. The project also contributes to the National Employment Strategy (NES), which was formally endorsed by the Jordanian government in May 2011.
Objectives
Build the capacity of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to contribute to the quality of the skills supply through upgraded apprenticeship in collaboration with the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI);
design and pilot a manual on youth rights at work to raise awareness of young people on their rights at work as well as how to defend them; and
enable The Employment and Technical, Vocational Education and Training (ETVET) Council and trade unions to design and implement an assessment and certification strategy that can be used by various training providers in at least one economic sector.
Main Activities
Finalise the establishment of a skill testing system for the identified sectors by defining the system requirements, developing skill-testing tools, training and certifying assessors, as well as selecting skill-testing centres or venues;
conduct a rapid assessment of informal apprenticeship practices in targeted sectors that will serve as a basis for a strategy seminar between JCI, employers and relevant business associations;
recruit at least 30 participating MSME’s on a voluntary basis and carry out two three-day training sessions on apprenticeship upgrading, as well as organise joint weekly coaching and monitoring follow-ups to these training sessions;
ensure that the General Federation for Jordan Trade Unions, other trade unions and civil society organizations meet to decide on the table of contents of a “Youth Rights at Work” manual that will describe the rights and entitlements of young women and men entering the world of work in Jordan, with a focus on the right of young women and men to be protected from gender-based discrimination; and
produce a draft of the “Youth rights at work” manual to be submitted to an editing board comprised of trade unions and civil society organizations, before being piloted with youth, and used to train trainers.
Outcomes
The ETVET Council members benefit from a piloted model of testing and a certification system;
a documented model of upgrading apprenticeship in the printing and packaging and small mechanical repairs sectors are available for replication; and
a training module on youth rights at work is mainstreamed into training programmes and tested by workers’ representatives.
