Foreign labour to be licensed from Jordan Chamber of Industry — labour minister

AMMAN — Minister of Labour Khaled Bakkar announced on Sunday that his ministry will promptly grant permits to industrial facilities to bring in non-Jordanian workers in case local labour is unavailable, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He told in a meeting organised by the Jordan Chamber of Industry that the door will be open to hire expatriate labour as of mid-February, urging the industrial sector to submit applications through the chamber.

The ministry will not leave any production line or economic facility short-staffed if Jordanian labour is unavailable for a sustainable production, he stressed that the ministry is opening training academies in partnership with the private sector to provide skilled labour.

For his part, President of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry Fathi Jaghbeer, said the industrial sector gives Jordanians a priority to employment, with local labour accounting for over 90 per cent of the workforce. He pointed to a need for foreign workers in some professions and specialisations shunned by Jordanians.

Jaghbeer stressed the importance of aligning education outputs with market needs through vocational training and specialised academies for qualified labour.