Navigating Jordan’s job market: the crucial role of skills development for a successful career path and decent employment

AMMAN, Jordan (ILO News) – Environmental factors, demographic changes, and technological developments make transition to decent jobs increasingly complex. Today, low economic growth and high unemployment rates, especially among youth, are critical concerns demanding immediate intervention.

The PROSPECTS Partnership, supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, aims to address these challenges with social and economic interventions, increasing job opportunities and improving prospects for host communities and forcibly displaced people, including Syrian refugees.

To provide youths with the best chance to enter the job market, a diversified economy capable of creating formal jobs and high-quality education and training are crucial.

Building on Jordan's 2015 national strategy focusing on human development, the ILO strives to enhance the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, aligning it with current labour market needs and fostering public-private collaboration.

The programme’s approach starts with identifying market needs, designing competency-based training programs, and delivering and monitoring these programs in close partnership with employers and stakeholders. Post-training support services further help increase job market access.

As changes in the world of work outpace formal education systems, continuous skill development and lifelong learning through apprenticeships and work-based learning are essential. The ILO prioritizes maintaining linkages with the labour market, engaging the private sector in skills development, and increasing workplace learning to meet current and future challenges.