Queen emphasises need to guide youth towards vocational training opportunities

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Tuesday emphasised the importance of guiding young people towards vocational training opportunities that best suit the demands of the current job market. 

Queen Rania made the remarks during the annual meeting of the board of trustees of Al Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans, an organisation Her Majesty established in 2006 to provide orphaned youth in Jordan with the necessary education and skills to become self-reliant members of the community after they turn 18 years old and leave their care centres.

During the meeting, board members discussed Al Aman Fund’s achievements last year, as well as current and upcoming projects, according to a statement from the Queen’s office. 

They also talked about possible ways to improve the fund’s methodology and programmes in order to increase the number of collected donations.

Deputy Chairman Ziad Fareez said the fund is looking into offering donors a new set of projects for them to support. 

He added that the fund is also working on setting new strategies that aim to build solid partnerships with other organisations and individuals concerned with supporting orphans in Jordan.

Al Aman Fund Board Chairman Laith Al Qasem noted that in the last few years, young beneficiaries who have pursued vocational training opportunities have outnumbered their peers who major in different academic streams. 

Ibrahim Al Ahmad, deputy director of Al Aman Fund, spoke about the organisation’s main achievements and successes. 

He explained that, since 2006 and until last year, the fund’s primary beneficiaries, which include orphans who have resided in orphan care centres, increased by 19.2 per cent, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the number of secondary beneficiaries, that include orphans who live with one parent or with an extended family, has increased by 80 per cent. 

To date, the number of Al Aman Fund’s overall beneficiaries has reached 2,304. Out of the total, 1,132 have graduated from various vocational and academic universities and colleges, while 497 will start their studies this year.