UNICEF prepares 700 with skills for labour market

AMMAN — Equipped with the necessary skills to transition from learning to meaningful employment, 700 youth have graduated from the UNICEF-supported Amaluna technical vocational training programme, according to a UNICEF statement on Sunday.

The students are the second cohort to successfully complete the programme, conducted in partnership with Luminus Technical University College and with support from the government’s National Employment Charter, and close to half of all graduates are female, the statement said. 

A graduation ceremony was held at the Cultural Palace in Amman, with the attendance of students, family and friends. 

“Strong and resilient youth are Jordan’s best hope for a stable and prosperous future,” UNICEF Jordan Representative Tanya Chapuisat was quoted in the statement as saying. 

“UNICEF will continue to support the Government to help 10,000 of the most vulnerable youth achieve their potential through quality technical and vocational training over the next five years,” she added.

UNICEF’s Amaluna Economic Engagement programme is a multi-stakeholder partnership to support the most vulnerable youth by equipping them with market-driven and accredited skills for meaningful employment opportunities. Amaluna has supported 2,500 young people since 2018 and has a 70-per cent employment rate for graduates, the statement noted.

Training modules include cosmetology, plumbing, hospitality, catering and food processing, garment manufacture, customer care and call centre operation. Employability, life skills and English language classes are also offered to each student.

Earlier this month, UNICEF signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Labour and Luminus Technical University College to support another 1,000 young people with access to technical and vocational training, focusing on new and emerging areas with high employment demand, such as coding, software engineering and 3D printing, as well as some more traditional market-driven vocations such as mechanics and hospitality.  

Currently, 38.5 per cent of young people in Jordan are economically inactive, the statement said, adding that, at 17 per cent, female labour participation is one of the lowest globally. The Amaluna programme aims to help young people become active citizens who are economically and socially resilient, according to the statement. 

The UNICEF Amaluna Youth Economic Engagement project is funded by the Government of Australia, the Government of Canada and Kuwait Foundations of the Advancement of Science.