UNICEF’s Youth Engagement Pathway Vision launched

AMMAN — “Our new vision for youth in Jordan is ambitious but we have right partners and strength at this table,” UNICEF Jordan Representative Robert Jenkins said during the launch of UNICEF’s Youth Engagement Pathway Vision 2018-2022 on Tuesday.

Besan Abdel Qader, adolescents and youth officer at UNICEF Giorgia Varisco, youth employment specialist at UNICEF, highlighted the integrated approach by the programme to address the demands of Jordanian and refugee youth. 

UNICEF’s approach, which was showcased during the workshop, is based on a pyramid model that starts with life and employability skills, moving on to engagement and participation (volunteering and innovation), then career essentials (counselling and guidance), internship apprenticeship and externship, and reaching employment at the top of the pyramid, according to a statement.

Abdel Qader, Varisco and Jenkins underlined that UNICEF and its partners will assist hundreds of thousands of young people learn new skills, get jobs and grow into entrepreneurs during 2018. 

Experts on civic social and economic engagement, former labour minister Nidal Katamine, INJAZ CEO Deema Bibi, Business Development Centre (BDC) CEO Nayef Stetieh attended the event as well as British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden.

Bibi noted that the partnership with UNICEF aims to develop and enhance youth’s employment chances, improve their life skills and help them join the labour market. 

Stetieh said that “BDC is a non-profit organisation we have different youth programmes one is called ‘Maharat’ which is the largest youth employment programme in the region”.

Stetieh emphasised that BDC’s project with UNICEF is about employment, entrepreneurship and self-employment. He added that according to a study it was found out the 78 per cent of companies said they care less about the major studied and more about life and behavioural skills. He pointed out that BDC’s objective is to find sustainable jobs for youth. 

Oakden praised UNICEF and its partners on their new youth strategy for 2018.