ILO to train 100 engineers in Jordan on labour-based technology

AMMAN (ILO News) - On 4 October, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Jordan signed a new agreement with the Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) to train 100 engineers on Labour Based Technology through the Employment Intensive Investment Programme, phase VI, funded by the German Government through the German Development Bank (KfW).

Germany supported the ILO EIIP project with 18 million euros covering activities for 24 months. This funding aims to increase short-term income and improve living environments through decent paid employment, in addition to providing young Jordanians and Syrians with suitable skills that will help them secure longer-term job opportunities. The initiative also includes a large component on capacity building for government officials to enhance their ability to manage labour-based technology projects and ensure sustainability.

The project will partner with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Local Administration, Ministry of Labour, Jordan Engineers Association, King Hussein Foundation, several municipalities, and training centers to implement the activities.

The funding support for this agreement is USD 47,646.89 (JOD 33,734) which will be contributed by the ILO project through KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The agreement activities will be implemented in 10 months. A total of 100 engineers from the Ministry of Local Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and from private contracting companies will be trained on a pre-designed and accredited curriculum that the Jordan Engineers Association developed with the ILO during previous phases of the programme. The focus will be on two modules relating to understanding tendering and contract documents and procedures, costing works, programming works, preparing and submitting bids using Labour Based Technology, and effectively planning, organizing and supervising Labour Based Technology works for agricultural and municipality infrastructure works.

The Engineers who will benefit from this program are from the Amman, Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash, Zarqa, Mafraq and Madaba areas in Jordan.

Vice President of the Jordan Engineers Association Eng. Fawzi Masa’d stated that “this agreement will contribute to the strategy and the vision of the Jordan Engineers Association in building the capacity and equipping national engineers with the knowledge and up to date information that will help them to compete in the labour market and provide innovative ideas and solutions that will help the country.”

Masa’d added “that the agreement is in line with the royal vision to equip the Jordanian youth with new skills and give them the opportunities that will support shaping a better future for next generation.”

Senior Portfolio Coordinator at the KfW Development Bank in Amman Dr. Assia Al Dhabbi stated: “We believe that investing in the capacity building of our national partners to be able to manage employment intensive approaches will allow them to drive sustainable development in Jordan.”

Chief Technical Advisor at the ILO Shailendra Kumar Jha said: “The ILO in Jordan under Phase VI of the Employment Intensive Investment Programme is focusing on developing the capacities of national counterparts since country capacity is key to development performance and thus to efforts to accelerate economic growth, reduce poverty and promote social justice.”

The EIIP project began in 2016 in Jordan in response to the Syrian crisis and to help Jordan’s Government in facing the challenges related to the influx of refugees. It focuses on increasing short term employment through improving infrastructure and the environment, and to provide youth with skills that will support them to find longer-term job opportunities.

The project is inclusive for Jordanian, Syrians, men, women and persons with disabilities.