Employability and Internship Approach

Youth:Work Jordan – Our Mission

The overall mission was to create an enabling environment for vulnerable youth, ages 15-24, by:

• Partnering with the public, private and civil society sector to improve youth employability practices and policies,

• Strengthening the capacity of youth-serving organizations, and

• Promoting the active civic engagement of Jordan’s young people.

YWJ CBO Centered Approach: Youth Community Enhancement Model (YFS)

Sound Organizational

practices

Sound Organizational

practices

Youth effective

participation

Youth effective

participation

Considerations in going to

scale

Considerations in going to

scale

Context with family,

community & Culture

Context with family,

community & Culture

YWJ CBO Centered Approach: Youth Community Enhancement Model (YFS)

The Youth Intervention Model

Back to SchoolBack to School

Job Placement Job Placement

InternshipsInternships

Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs

Youth Outcomes

Labor Market AssessmentsLabor Market Assessments

Employer Engagement

Employer Engagement

Parent Engagement

Parent Engagement

Community Alliances

Community Alliances

Youth-Adult Dialogues

Youth-Adult Dialogues

Community mapping

Community mapping

Building an Enabling

Environment (YFS)

Job Placement - Context

• Facts about Jordan: • More than half of the population is under twenty years of age. • Women’s participation in the labor market is among the lowest in the

world(15%)• The unemployment rate in Jordan is 18% and 24% for the target group we

are working with.

Job Placement - Needs and Gaps

• Employers are not prevalent in targeted neighborhoods• Market demand is higher thank youth readiness for internships • Youth do not prefer to work in remote areas especially when housing

and transportation are not provided.• Gap between private sector needs and qualification of youth• Low wages offered by the private sector.• Limited knowledge among youth about existing employment

opportunities.• Preference to wait until jobs become available in the military or public

sector.• Youth rejection of labor intensive positions – (culture of shame )• Social factors, parents reluctant to let daughters enroll in vocational

training or join the workforce.

Job Placement - Addressing the Needs

Private sector engagement•Consultation with private sector ( Visits, roundtables, job fairs, early engagement of the private sector in the design and implementation of training: Life skills, IT & English , demand driven Vocational training - Hospitality, HVAC, Secretary, Salon Services•Work with companies to make their environment more friendly and attractive to youth.•Launched the “Employer Ambassador Award” initiative

Job Placement - Addressing the Needs

Public sector engagementStrategic partnership established with Ministry of Labor to ensure demand driven approach to job placement• Matching YWJ youth with demand driven vacancies being promoted by

the MOL in partnership with major private sector companies• Initiated discussion on policy issues such as improving working conditions

and adopting YWJ employability models with the vocational training centers as part of their programs.

• MOL with collaboration with YWJ is trying to fill semi-skilled job vacancies with Jordanian nationals

Job Placement - Addressing the NeedsPublic sector engagementStrategic partnership established with Ministry of Labor to ensure demand driven approach to job placement• Matching YWJ youth with demand driven vacancies being

promoted by the MOL in partnership with major private sector companies

• Initiated discussion on policy issues such as improving working conditions and adopting YWJ employability models with the vocational training centers as part of their programs.

• MOL with collaboration with YWJ is trying to fill semi-skilled job vacancies with Jordanian nationals

.

YWJ Internship Approach: Win-Win ModelDefinition: short-term work experience emphasizing hands-on learning, and incorporation of education and professional development. The principle of an internship is “shared value.”

Learning and Outcomes: -Guide the youth toward a professional career in a particular organization, field, or sector- Provides a learning laboratory were youth experience the “real” working world. - Delivering services in a real work environment should be considered as an internship-Youth contribution to the organization by performing tasks that are of continuing value to both parties.

The result: a win-win arrangement that leads to a proven record of success.

- Technical Training: on the Job training - Hospitality Training: Partnership with the Ammoun - Secretary training: Partnership with Sanaya - HVAC training: Partnership with LG - Beauty Saloons training: Partnership with Al-Qudos

- Internship opportunities in the Youth local communities- Main sector: services sector to include beauty saloons, hospitality,

agriculture, Car repair and HVAC workshops

YWJ Internship Approach: Youth Placement Tracks

Job Placement - What did We Learn?

1. Customize training courses according to market needs leads to:

a) Higher success in employment.

b) Satisfaction and trust from both youth and employers.

2. Develop referral system that complement efforts between the public

and private sectors, incl. civil society , which leads to more effective

implementation and utilization of resources.

3. The need to guide policies to support employability efforts

Job Placement and Internship - What did We Learn?

1. Customize training courses according to market needs leads to:

a) Higher success in employment.

b) Satisfaction and trust from both youth and employers.

2. Develop referral system that complement efforts between the

public and private sectors, incl. civil society , which leads to

more effective implementation and utilization of resources.

3. The need to guide policies to support employability efforts

4. Use tools such as labour market assessment to identify main

internship outlets and opportunities

THANK YOU

Wajd SafiEmployability Specialist at YWJ

w.safi@iyfnet.org

THANK YOU