Netherlands’ ambassador for Youth, Education and Work visits Jordan

AMMAN — Tijmen Rooseboom, ambassador for Youth, Education and Work of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, arrived in Amman on Saturday for a three-day working visit to consult with the Government of Jordan, meet with Jordanian youth and learn more about Dutch-financed support to youth and employment in Jordan.

Rooseboom held separate bilateral meetings with Minister of Youth Mohammad Al Nabulsi and Minister of Labour Nayef Stetieh, according to a Dutch embassy statement.

Rooseboom discussed topics that were brought to his attention during youth consultations in Jordan and reaffirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to invest in skills and jobs for young people and strengthening the voices of youth, emphasising that Jordan is one of the priority countries for the Netherlands’ Youth at Heart strategy. 

On his first day in Amman, Rooseboom met with the embassy’s newly launched Youth Advisory Committee, which is made up of eight youth from different sectors and geographical areas. 

In addition, he also met with the embassy’s Advisory Committee of Entrepreneurs – another committee made up of 12 young entrepreneurs that will bring their voice and input to the Jordanian entrepreneurial ecosystem and the Netherlands’ flagship programme Orange Corners which is set to launch in Jordan in 2022. 

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan Harry Verweij stated on occasion of Rooseboom’s visit: “Providing prospects and opportunities for youth is a key focus across all of the Netherlands’ support to Jordan. In close partnership with our local partners, our programmes focus on providing youth with the essential skills required to find quality and sustainable jobs, through TVET, entrepreneurship and educational programmes.”   

Rooseboom stated: “It’s wonderful to be back in Jordan and see the innovative power and ambition of young people. It is up to us, policy makers from governments, as well as international organisations and private sector to adapt to the realities of youth and make sure young people have the skills, the space and the opportunities to flourish.”

The ambassador’s visit to Jordan also included a number of field visits to observe the implementation of Dutch-funded projects in person and to have a dialogue with youth involved in these projects and listen to their experiences. 

On the agenda were a trip to a UNICEF operated Makani centre to meet with Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi and other refugee children and avisit to the Anabtawi Sweets Factory, where the Netherlands-funded Challenge Youth for Fund Employment (CFYE) programme is being implemented to capacitate youth in both soft and technical skills, while also carrying out community sessions to create a mindset for change in favour of women’s economic participation and create an enabling and equitable work environment. 

Furthermore, Rooseboom visited the Al Hussein Technical University, part of the Netherlands’ funded “Skilling for Increased Economic Participation of Youth” project which aims to empower Jordanian youth by upskilling them in the ICT sector.

To keep pace with this youthful world, the Netherlands is increasingly putting youth at the heart of its development policies, the statement said.