Jordan Uncategorized

Job fair in Jordan promotes inclusive development and youth empowerment

©ACTED
Young women providing their Curriculum Vitae, filling job applications and exchanging with private sector representatives, Irbid job fair, 11 October 2017

PBYRC-JOHUD and ACTED, with the support from the European Union (EU), organized their 8th job fair in Irbid. This activity took place within a wider ACTED project aiming at strengthening youth and female leadership in local and national decision-making processes in Jordan, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian Territory.

The job fair welcomed students and jobseekers at the Al Hassan Youth City Centre in Irbid. Over 3,000 young men and women, including fresh graduates from universities and vocational trainees, came to meet 58 companies from various economic sectors, including banking, services, catering, manufacturing, industry, medical, etc. Amongst them, private companies as well as other corporate actors offered more than 1,600 job vacancies for Jordanian young men and women, as well as for Syrians and Palestinians, and training opportunities on life skills and competencies for 400 youth.

Investing in youth potential

During the job fair, PBYRC-JOHUD launched several awareness sessions on labour law and social security, as well as activities to promote youth economic empowerment. Representatives of PBYRC-JOHUD, ACTED, the Ministry of Labor and the European Union delivered speeches on the essential role of the job fair in meeting the needs and expectations of employers and youth job seekers.

“The European Union will continue to support the dynamics of economic growth in Jordan through its funding instruments,” said the Programme Manager for Education and Employment at the Delegation of the European Union to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, adding that “the EU will continue assisting Jordan to create and promote decent work for men and women.”

By meeting with companies and participating organizations, young job seekers had the opportunity to share their CVs, discuss their skills and experience, learn about the various available positions. For instance, Ahli Microfinance Company aims to support Jordanians, Palestinians and Syrians to establish their own businesses. The company, which moto is “People behind your success”, is providing loans between 500 and 50,000 JOD to small entrepreneurs. They already funded several initiatives, such as a handicraft shop established by a woman who received 15,000 JOD and now runs a thriving business.

©ACTED
Exchange between youth job seekers and corporate and institutional actors – Irbib job fair, 11 October 2017

Matching young job seekers and potential employers

ACTED and PBYRC exchanged with youth attending the job fair – Here their stories:

 

I worked as a training assistant for JOHUD during 2 months and volunteered with an international NGO as a community team leader. Today, I am looking for a job in the sector of community services, in which I have 4 years of experience. Through this job fair, I had many opportunities today to meet with companies. I gave my CV and took employers’ emails, and I hope they will contact me soon

Mohannad, a accounting student gratuated from Yarmouk University

He wishes there will be other fairs such as this one, with more companies, NGOs and UN agencies.

 

Waad

Waad is a 22-year-old graduate from Irbid University with an accounting and administration Bachelor degree. She came to the job fair in Irbid to find a job opportunity that matches with her skills and abilities. She said that the fair gave her the chance to meet various companies in the sector in which she is interested, and benefit from training opportunities.

Oday

Oday is a 24-year-old graduate from Irbid University with a Banking and Financial Sciences Bachelor degree. He strived to find a durable job after his graduation, but that proved difficult. He thus attended the event today to find a job opportunity that matches with his profile and experience. He said that the job fair helped him save a lot of time and effort by giving him the opportunity to meet so many companies in the same venue. During the event, he decided to apply for vacancies offered by three companies.

The job fair was also the occasion to exchange with employers seeking to fill job vacancies: Motassem is one of them. Working as a Distribution Manager at Waseet Weekly Newspaper in the Marketing Section, Motassem was participating for the fourth time to a job fair organized by PBYRC-JOHUD and ACTED.

“I know the JOHUD’s employment centre of Irbid, and they have regularly contacted us to participate to the fairs.”

He received a large stack of CVs and now needs to review them all before launching interviews with applicants.

“Thanks to this event, we have been able to hire 20 young men in total for the distribution and sales of newspapers, including 15 Jordanians and 5 Syrians.”

The event was and covered by several media including Far al Naz Radio, TV Yarmouk, and Petra News.