The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education for Administration and Financial Affairs extended a warm welcome to Ms. Min Jeong Kim, the UNESCO Representative in Jordan, and a distinguished delegation from Canada, led by Ms. Marie-Claude Grenon, Executive Director of the Middle East Development Programme. The meeting centered around the Technical Assistance program titled ‘Transforming Technical and Vocational Education in Jordan.’ Over the four-year duration of this initiative, UNESCO and Canada pledge their commitment to facilitate significant reforms in vocational education, aligning it more effectively with labor market needs and addressing challenges such as youth unemployment and gender disparities.

This Technical Assistance initiative aligns with the Canadian government’s sovereign loan to Jordan, which aims to bolster the implementation of the five-year initiative titled ‘Increasing Education Access and Quality to vocational education through strengthening Edtech and Maintenance.’ The loan is intended to facilitate the modernization of Jordan’s vocational education sector by renovating and equipping vocational workshops and upgrading educational technology in both vocational and academic schools.

Under the Technical Assistance program, UNESCO will collaborate closely with the Ministry of Education, private sector industries, and various national partners and stakeholders to enhance the quality of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) provided in public schools. The program is designed to address various issues, including improving career guidance, fostering stronger collaboration with the private sector and employers, increasing awareness of the significance of TVET, enhancing the capacities of TVET teachers, and elevating the qualifications of TVET graduates. These efforts aim to better equip young girls and boys for the challenges of the professional world.