King expresses support for human resources development panel

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday underscored the important work of the National Committee for Human Resources Development to prepare a comprehensive strategy that can bring about qualified human resources capable of competing in the labour market.  

At a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace with committee members, attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania, King Abdullah expressed his support for the panel to arrive at results to address the challenges facing the education sector and human resources. 

The King was briefed by the committee’s president, Wajih Owais, on the main objectives of the national strategy on human resources development for 2015 and 2016, according to a Royal Court statement.

Highlighting ways to deal with the education sector and manpower development challenges, Owais presented the committee’s proposals to enhance the output of the education sector, in its various stages, through training, supervision and rehabilitation programmes, in addition to suggested reforms for vocational training. 

The proposals also included diagnosing problems facing the issue of honing workers’ skills, in both the private and public sectors, besides examining the effect of guest workers on the labour market and offering solutions.

At the meeting, attended by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the success of the committee’s work is part of the authorities’ priorities, stressing the government’s support for it. 

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Owais, a former higher education minister, said the committee on Sunday discussed pre-school learning as it is the main stage and basis for the development of human resources, noting that this stage contributes most to the build-up of an individual’s character and mindset.

Other parts of the committee’s work include examining education problems in general and drawing up solutions pertaining to teachers’ training and developing school curricula and vocational training, he added.  

The National Committee for Human Resources Development was formed in April after His Majesty sent a letter to Ensour highlighting an urgent need for Jordan to develop an integrated, comprehensive, strategic and well-defined system for human resources development.   

In the letter, the King said the committee for human resources development should prepare a national strategy, from which a 10-year plan to develop several sectors could be drawn.

The plan will deal with developing elementary education, higher education, technical education and vocational training sectors with the purpose of achieving a qualitative leap in human resources and deciding on a set of reform policies that can support the modernisation and development process.

The committee will also prepare for a national conference during which the strategy to develop human resources will be endorsed.

The strategy will present ways to develop manpower, starting from early childhood and up to working age, in accordance with applicable programmes and well-defined measuring tools and indicators.

It should define reform priorities, available financing options and steps to develop the labour market, to be endorsed by the Cabinet, and help outline the course for consecutive governments.