Aqaba — Following the signing of 16 partnership agreements under the “Creating Shared Community Value” project, attention is turning to the tangible opportunities this initiative could create for young Jordanians and how the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the private sector can coordinate their efforts to turn resources and expertise into market-oriented training, sustainable employment and scalable entrepreneurial ventures.
اضافة اعلان
The key challenge is to establish clear and equitable pathways that enable young people to access opportunities and participate in shaping development, making the success of these partnerships dependent on the changes they bring to young people’s lives and their ability to build a more stable and productive future.
The agreements cover companies and institutions operating across a range of sectors, including real estate and investment development, logistics and transportation, food processing and manufacturing, water, tourism and hospitality, telecommunications and technology, metal industries and garments, healthcare, and education.
According to Shadi Ramzi Al-Majali, chairman of ASEZA’s Board of Commissioners, the “Creating Shared Community Value” project establishes an institutional approach to public-private partnerships. It seeks to move corporate social responsibility beyond isolated contributions towards joint efforts to identify needs, formulate solutions and implement projects, ensuring that resources are directed towards clear development priorities and deliver tangible, sustainable impact.
The signing of 16 partnership agreements gives Aqaba an opportunity to rebuild the relationship between investment and the community. However, the real value of this step will depend on the implementation programmes that follow and on young people’s ability to access clear opportunities that help them acquire in-demand skills, enter the labour market and improve their economic circumstances.
Al-Majali noted that economic development is incomplete unless its results are reflected in citizens’ lives. He highlighted the importance of harnessing companies’ capabilities and expertise to support education, training, employment and entrepreneurship, alongside the development of community facilities and services, thereby improving quality of life, strengthening Aqaba’s competitiveness and sustaining its growth.
Bridging educational and professional gaps
Experts believe this approach places young people at the heart of the relationship between economic growth and social development. Investment alone does not guarantee that its benefits will reach those seeking opportunities unless mechanisms are established to connect businesses’ needs with young people’s capabilities and help them overcome the educational and professional gaps that hinder their entry into the labour market.
Economic researcher Mohammad Al-Naimat said the authority could support young people by organizing these relationships, clarifying the available pathways and monitoring outcomes. Meanwhile, the private sector could contribute more than funding by offering expertise, practical experience, career guidance and fair access to employment and procurement opportunities. This would make partnerships a tool for building productive capacity rather than merely providing support.
Private-sector representative Mohammad Al-Tamimi said: “Companies’ interests align with those of young people when joint programmes help prepare skilled workers who understand workplace requirements and can develop within their roles. Investment in skills should therefore be viewed as an investment in service quality, productivity and business stability, rather than an activity separate from the actual needs of companies and the community.”
Dr. Thabet Al-Nabulsi, ASEZA commissioner for tourism and youth and head of the project committee, said the signed agreements represented a practical step towards aligning private-sector contributions with the actual needs of the local community. This would be achieved through partnerships that define areas of work and priorities and create opportunities to implement projects with a direct impact on the targeted sectors.
Al-Nabulsi added that the project would expand companies’ contributions to education, training and youth entrepreneurship, while also supporting health initiatives and the development of infrastructure and parks. This would strengthen corporate participation in local development and link business sustainability to tangible social benefits.
Subhi Al-Rawashdeh, a specialist in development programme planning, said the next phase required turning each framework agreement into an implementation plan specifying the target group, the type of service, the responsible entity, the required resources and the timeline. Clarity on these elements, he said, would make commitments measurable and prevent partnerships from remaining general expressions of intent.
He added that the most effective starting point would be to map companies’ current and anticipated needs, compare them with young people’s skills and qualifications, and then design interventions to address actual gaps. This would be preferable to offering ready-made training programmes that might attract large numbers of participants without improving their employment prospects.
The cost of searching for opportunities
Young Jordanian Ayman Al-Khasawneh said: “After the announcement of these agreements, what I need is to know where to apply, what the requirements are, what skills I will acquire, and whether the programme offers training only or is linked to a specific employment need. Having these details clearly explained would help me make an informed decision rather than move between opportunities with uncertain outcomes.”
Al-Khasawneh noted that even a good opportunity could be difficult to access if the application process was complicated or the schedule failed to account for transportation constraints. He said he needed practical arrangements, a safe environment and clear information, followed by an assessment based on his performance and ability to learn rather than preconceived ideas about the fields in which he could work.
Career guidance specialist Ahmad Al-Bazayeh said establishing a unified platform to advertise programmes, if adopted during implementation, could reduce the cost of searching for opportunities and limit the fragmentation of information. However, he stressed that such a platform should clearly state selection criteria, deadlines, enquiry procedures and appeal mechanisms, while reaching young people beyond the usual circles of participation.
Al-Bazayeh added that training should not be measured by its duration or the number of certificates awarded at the end, but by the beneficiary’s ability to perform a task required by the labour market. Companies should therefore participate in identifying the necessary skills, developing training content and assessing participants, while taking into account differences in applicants’ skill levels and basic needs.
He further noted that the most impactful programmes combine knowledge with practical application and allow trainees to understand professional tools, workplace routines, quality standards and safety requirements under clear supervision. Such experience helps young people assess their interests and abilities while enabling companies to identify talent that can be developed and put to productive use.
Dr. Murad Al-Bawwab, director of the Achievement and Follow-up Unit and a member of the project committee, said the project had progressed through several stages, including introducing the concept of shared community value, engaging with companies, developing a matrix of interested entities and areas of cooperation, and ultimately signing 16 unified framework agreements and preparing a guidance manual for managing the system.
He explained that the model adopts a broader understanding of community contributions that goes beyond financial support to include companies’ technical expertise, technology, human resources and institutional networks. This approach strengthens their ability to help address local community needs through structured partnerships.
By Ahmad Al-Rawashdeh
