Improving labour skills in technical professions

Project description

Title: Promotion of training to improve efficiency in the water and energy sector II in Jordan
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Jordan
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Labour
Overall term: 2016 to 2019

Context

Jordan’s economy is experiencing rising unemployment along with a shortage of workers with good skills in technical professions. Unemployment affects young people in particular, with more than a third of the country’s youth being without work.

At the same time, there is a dramatically increased demand for water and energy that is higher than the limited resources.

Objective

Jordanian companies have qualified professionals at their disposal in the area of water and energy efficiency.

Approach

Working specifically in the field of water and energy efficiency, the project is addressing the mismatch between the supply and demand for technically skilled labour.

By providing training at different levels for both skilled and semi-skilled workers and for craftspeople, the project is building capacities within the water and energy sectors. New graduates should also gain good qualifications to fulfil the duties and tasks required of them in the labour market. These improvements in the professional and entrepreneurial skills of both adults and youth also serve to enhance the image of jobs in the construction sector.

Additionally, cooperation mechanisms will be used to support the integration of young people into the labour market through private sector involvement in their training. Core methods applied by the project to increase collaboration between employers and vocational training providers are: firstly, the establishment of the National Sector Skills Council (NSSC), and secondly the major contribution of the private sector to the operation of the Jordanian-German Center of Excellence on Solar Energy in Mafraq, which the project establishes together with the National Employment and Training Company.

The cooperation is overseen by the Ministry of Labour.

The project also cooperates with the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association as a representative of the labour market and with Centre of Accreditation and Quality Assurance to ensure quality and credibility of the training programmes. The inclusion of the private sector helps establish a sense of ownership, which in turn encourages the creation of actual job opportunities.

This multi-stakeholder approach is assisting Jordanian companies to employ a sufficient number of suitably qualified professionals to ensure the water and energy efficiency of their operations. The project strengthens the capacities of key actors in the vocational education system and the water and energy sector, leading to the creation of a training system oriented to the needs of the labour market.

Results

Together with the NSSC, the programme developed five short and long-term training programmes. More than 1,200 people improved their employability in short-term trainings for technicians, engineers and supervisors for water network maintenance, photovoltaic (PV) installation and maintenance and domestic electrical installation. Long-term training programmes were held for plumbing, solar heating and PV installation and maintenance. Furthermore, more than 200 trainers and in-company instructors improved their qualifications within training of fellow trainers.  The aforementioned technical professions also provided didactic training.