Jordanian job seekers crowd Kuwaiti employment forum

AMMAN — Around 15,000 Jordanian job seekers attended the Jordanian-Kuwaiti Employment Forum which concluded on Monday in Amman.

The forum offered 2,150 job opportunities from 44 companies in medical, financial, administrative, social, educational, engineering, food and technical sectors, Mahmoud Aqaileh, the labour consultant at Jordanian embassy in Kuwait said.

Three Kuwaiti governmental institutions participated in the three-day employment forum: the public authority for manpower, the public authority of the disabled and ministry of social affairs and labour. 

The Kuwaiti government seeks to benefit from Jordanian human resources that are well known for their professionalism, commitment and experience, Aqaileh told The Jordan Times.

The official noted that based on numbers of foreign workers in Kuwait, the Jordanian workforce ranks eighth place, as there are around 60,000 to 70,000 Jordanians residing in Kuwait, Aqaileh said.

Majed Al Jazi, general manager of the employment department at the Jordanian Ministry of Labour said that although they have announced the available vacancies and required qualifications through various media platforms many people with inappropriate qualifications "rushed" to the job fair. 

“We are happy with people’s interest in the employment forum but the irrelevant qualifications and specialisations might cause confusion and it’s a waste of time for employers and job seekers,” Jazi noted. 

Aqaileh noted that the medical sector witnessed a shortage of applicants. 

The forum offered 170 opportunities, with an average monthly salary of between JD7,000 to JD8,000, in hospitals and medical centres for specialists, doctors and healthcare workers, but did not receive many applicants, he said. 

Also, restaurant sector offered various jobs for youth which requires little or no prior experience with privileges including accommodation, transportation, social security and good pay. 

Though academic institutions' booths witnessed high turnout by teachers, many of them lacked good command of English language as most of the academic institutions are bilingual. 

Fadi, a 30-year-old, restaurant owner, said he attended the forum in search of a job due to the "deteriorating state" of the market in Jordan. 

While Nidaa Nashash, a fresh graduate nutritionist, said she wishes to start her career in Kuwait and applied for every possible vacancy at the forum. 

Muteeah Mujhammad, a PhD holder and researcher, said that she came to discover her opportunities.