JRF workshop addresses employment challenges, opportunities

AMMAN — Under the patronage of the representative of Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture Abdelfattah Shalabi, director general of the Jordan Co-operative Corporation, the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) held a workshop addressing employment challenges and opportunities facing youth during which it recognised relevant partners supporting the foundation’s efforts to prepare youth for the labour market, according to a statement for The Jordan Times.

The workshop was held under the Small-Ruminants Investment & Graduating Households in Transition (SIGHT) project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The workshop addressed several proposed solutions to help bridge the gap between labour market needs and workforce readiness skills. The event was attended by relevant stockholders, including national and international non-profit organisations, governmental institutions, and employers.

Shalabi underlined the key role of SIGHT in empowering rural families and alleviating poverty by supporting national food security policies in Jordan for Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities as part of the government's efforts to implement His Majesty King Abdullah II’s directives and achieve strategic priorities outlined in Jordan's Economic Growth Plan for 2018-2022, which aims to contribute 5% to the GDP by focusing on agricultural sector development, the statement said.

JRF’s Director General Enaam Barrishi noted that “the workshop is part of JRF’s continuous efforts to curb unemployment, which according to the Department of Statistics has reached 21.4 percent, and address labour market challenges facing the local economy.”

Barrishi commended the efforts of relevant partners in preparing youth for the labour market, helping achieve tangible and sustainable results all across the kingdom, noting that "these achievements would not have been possible without the collective efforts and support of our governmental institutions, civil society organisations, international donors, the private sector, and employers.”

SIGHT is implemented by JRF across six governorates: Amman, Madaba, Jerash, Ajloun, Irbid, and Mafraq. It aims to contribute to poverty reduction and food security enhancement by offering sustainable livelihood tools and access to financial resources for refugee and host communities through trainings addressing vocational skills, and workforce readiness. 

Interventions are customised based on detailed market assessments designed to promote resilience and self-reliance.

The project has empowered more than 2,241 beneficiaries in various dynamic sectors, including social entrepreneurship, manufacturing, trade, tourism, services, agriculture, and construction. It has offered more than 236 job opportunities in partnership with the private sector, and supported more than 2,005 micro and small businesses, including 870 youth projects across the targeted governorates, according to the statement.