The World Bank has confirmed the disbursement of 41.54% of the total funding for the “Supporting Employment and Skills in the Private Sector Project” in Jordan — amounting to $46.52 million out of $112 million, according to a recent project evaluation report.
اضافة اعلان
The report indicated that the Jordanian government and the World Bank have agreed to extend the implementation period of the project — also known as the “National Employment Program” — from the end of 2025 to July 31, 2028, following its restructuring in August 2025 to expand its scope and increase its impact on employment.
As of the end of August 2025, the project had benefited more than 55,000 people across Jordan’s governorates, about half of whom are women (51%), and around 12% are beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund.
The project aims to increase employment opportunities in the private sector and enhance skills, with a particular focus on women and youth, through wage support, on-the-job training, and incentives for formal employment.
More than 1,500 private-sector companies across the country have benefited from the program. Among these, around 24,000 workers have received on-the-job training within their companies under the supervision of qualified trainers or in-house training centers. Additionally, 3,790 individuals participated in soft skills and occupational safety training as of August.
Training forms a core component of the project: 15,397 beneficiaries had received on-the-job training by mid-2024, against a target of 67,400 trainees by 2028 — 46% women, 7% National Aid Fund beneficiaries, and 79% youth.
Meanwhile, 3,790 individuals completed soft skills and occupational safety training, with the goal of reaching 30,000 trainees during the remaining implementation period. The project also plans to provide vocational licensing training for 1,100 individuals, in addition to launching a program to train 500 small business owners in management and financial skills in the coming phase.
The report also showed high satisfaction levels among both beneficiaries and companies: 90.7% of complaints were resolved within the specified timeframe (compared to a target of 80%), 99.8% of female beneficiaries expressed satisfaction, and 96.7% of participating companies reported satisfaction with the program.
The Ministry of Labor, through the Project Management Unit, continues to conduct biannual surveys to measure satisfaction levels and develop performance improvement plans based on results. It also coordinates regularly with the World Bank to ensure the project’s main objective — building a more sustainable and inclusive labor market by mid-2028 — is achieved.
The report rated the overall progress toward achieving project goals as “moderately satisfactory”, noting that implementation pace remains satisfactory while the overall risk level is moderate. The main risks include the sustainability of implementing institutions and the technical design of the project, though financial and administrative risks have improved since the last restructuring in August 2025.
The project covers all Jordanian governorates, targeting formal employment expansion and private-sector job creation for youth and women, while enhancing the vocational training system and integrating it with digital platforms such as “Sajel” and “Tadreebak” to broaden access to employment and training opportunities.
The World Bank noted that the Supporting Employment and Skills Project in Jordan is producing tangible positive results in stimulating formal labor market growth and increasing the participation of women and youth, with improvements in sustainability, training, and satisfaction levels — making it one of the most prominent development programs contributing to productive and sustainable employment in Jordan in the coming years. (Source: Al-Mamlaka TV)
