Labour minister opens new employment unit at ACI’s industrial sector division

AMMAN — Labour Minister Yousef Shamali at the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) headquarters on Monday inaugurated the employment unit in the industrial sector, which was established by the ACI in cooperation with the “Employment in Jordan 2030” project that is implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The unit aims at providing a qualified workforce for factories and employing more Jordanian workers in industrial companies. Shamali expressed his hope that the unit would help connect jobseekers with factories, according to a ministry statement.

The minister called for coordination between the unit and the national employment programme launched by the ministry to ensure that as many Jordanians as possible find employment, especially as the industrial sector is the largest employer of employees in the private sector.  

ACI Chairman Fathi Jaghbir said that there is a negative stereotype among the youth about the work environment in factories, resulting in people refraining from working in factories. However, the COVID-19 pandemic proved that the industrial sector provides job security for its workers, he added.

Alexander Monden, team leader of the Employment in Jordan 2030 project, said that the employment unit needs a “proactive approach”, in coordination with employment directorates and offices at the Labour Ministry, to avoid duality and identify joint work fields.

ACI General Manager Nael Hussami called for offering direct and indirect support for industrial companies that provide training for jobseekers through benefitting from the support programmes offered by development partners, praising the role of GIZ in developing employment vocational training programmes.