Crown Prince attends graduation of National Service first phase

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Thursday attended the graduation ceremony of participants in the first phase of the National Service programme titled “military national training and guidance” at the Royal Military College field. 

The programme is held in partnership between the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and the Labour Ministry, with the aim of qualifying young people and improving their skills to join the labour market, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Under the programme, youth are engaged in four-month courses in the industrial, construction and tourism sectors, including military and vocational training courses, as well as training on developing life skills.

The first phase of the training programme, which has a duration of one month and is exclusive to young men, focuses on military training and guidance that aim at developing the national responsibility and work discipline, in addition to raising the level of physical fitness.

The second phase, with a three-month duration for both male and female trainees, focuses on vocational training inside workshops and laboratories and includes courses in business entrepreneurship, vocational safety and health, according to Petra.

During the ceremony, Crown Prince Hussein watched a demonstration by graduates that included an infantry performance and fitness exercises reflecting the graduates’ physical status.

The mufti of the college, 2nd Lt. Rashed Qatamin, said that the graduates have received training at the facility to be able to bear responsibility and to be at the forefront of those who seek to contribute to production, especially after they received the necessary knowledge, skills and vocational experience. 

Labour Minister Samir Murad said that the Crown Prince’s attendance of the ceremony is part of his belief in the abilities of the youth to realise achievements, and highlights Crown Prince Hussein’s interest in building a bright future for the Jordanian youth. 

In January, Prime Minister Omar Razzaz launched the National Service programme, aiming at supporting the national economy and supplying the market with qualified young personnel, while aligning the outputs of Jordan’s education systems — vocational and technical — with the needs of the labour market.

Razzaz had earlier said that the programme is an integral part of the government’s plans to reduce unemployment and poverty rates, calling on the private sector “to keep an eye on the skilful graduates”.

The programme provides interns with a JD100 monthly allowance, a daily meal, medical insurance in cases of work-related injuries and covers transportation fees, as well as the costs of uniforms and the issuance of a professional licence by the Centre of Accreditation and Quality Control.