The government is reportedly drafting a plan for post-
COVID
recovery and hushing up its content so far. True or not, the country naturally
needs one and, in all cases, the government should not leave vocational and
technical education behind.
اضافة اعلان
But this time, we need a different approach. The labor
landscape has changed and a profound paradigm shift has taken place at
different levels.
Fact number one, according to a study by
Jordan Labor Watch,
is that 48 percent of youth between 19 and 24 years of age, who are not
enrolled in higher education, are unemployed (and those who are in higher
education have a dim chance to find a job). The report also found that the
Jordanian economy lost almost 140,000 jobs in the aftermath of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The “culture of shame,” is dead and buried. No one will now
buy it as an excuse for the failure to steer the young generation to take the
vocational and technical training path. Look around and you’ll see that
thousands of Jordanian youth are in the delivery industry, and many are
grateful they have a job and that they can put food on the table for their
families. We are in a text-book case of a challenge turned into an opportunity,
and that is encouraging.
Another encouraging fact is that we have in place an
umbrella body for vocational education, namely the Technical and Vocational
Skills Development Commission, supported by the Technical and Vocational Skills
Development Council. These partners have not been tested yet because they are
relatively new, but both have the potential to boost the execution of the
relevant national strategy that has remained ink on paper.
Again, things have to be done differently, this time, so
that we do not miss the chance. We need first to identify the sectors with the
highest potential for recovery and identify their labor needs, and whether this
labor needs specific skills or upskilling. This should not be a tough task
because the private sector, i.e., the employer, is represented on the council
and, in an ideal scenario, is involved in planning and decision-making from A
to Z.
Sound planning also requires officials in charge of this
file to foresee industries’ future needs, taking into consideration that some
sectors are expected to boom and others to slow down or completely die.
Furthermore, the country and the region are likely to see mega projects in the
fields of railways, renewable energy, construction, and others. We need to
prepare young Jordanians to man these projects with the skills and the
know-how.
A tip to officials: Before you design a training program,
just ask the employers what exactly they need, and keep your eyes open for any
opportunities. You can also look to the successful experiences of other
countries, to see how they have done it.
And a warning: An army of unemployed, frustrated youth
spells doom. We cannot afford failure.
Read more opinions
.jpg)
.jpg)
