Minister of Labor, Dr. Khaled Al-Bakkar, confirmed that the number of employment contracts supported through the National Employment Program reached 46,223 contracts, half of which were for women.
اضافة اعلان
In an interview with the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Al-Bakkar stated that the number of contracts supported through the National Employment Program for recipients of national aid reached 5,196 contracts, with 2,228 contracts signed with women.
He added that the Ministry of Labor, in coordination with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, is holding discussions with the World Bank to restructure the National Employment Program to improve its effectiveness, expand the scope of beneficiaries, and extend the program's duration to ensure continued efforts in providing job opportunities for Jordanians across all sectors.
Al-Bakkar pointed out that the "Sajil" platform, launched by the ministry in 2019, serves as the national employment platform to strengthen networking between the public and private sectors. Job seekers and employers are encouraged to update their data on the platform. He urged those who have not registered to do so, allowing the ministry to market Jordanian talent to the labor market both domestically and internationally through collaboration with friendly and brotherly countries.
Regarding the productive branches initiative, Al-Bakkar explained that it is one of the ministry's best programs, a royal initiative that started in 2008. The initiative has created 2,556 new jobs, bringing the total number of employees in the productive branches and units across the governorates to around 10,000 by the end of 2024.
Al-Bakkar also noted that three new productive branches were opened in Umm al-Jamal in Mafraq, Al-Jadida in Karak, and the expansion of the Souf branch in Jerash. Efforts are ongoing to establish five new productive branches and provide necessary infrastructure in locations such as Al-Faisaliah in Madaba, Al-Fuheis in Balqa, Eastern Mafraq, Al-Mujib in Karak, Wadi Aniza in Ma'an, and Mghar Sarhan in Mafraq.
To reduce dependence on foreign labor and achieve stability in economic sectors, Al-Bakkar explained that the ministry is implementing projects in line with the Executive Program for Economic Modernization, which includes increasing the number of Jordanians in the labor market by raising worker productivity and promoting vocational and technical work.
The ministry is also strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors, civil society organizations, and international bodies to improve labor governance and quality services. A notable initiative is a partnership with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company to establish training academies in the mining sector, with discussions underway for an academy with the Jordanian Bankers Association.
Additionally, the ministry is working on strengthening career guidance services, updating national strategies for vocational and career guidance, enhancing training infrastructure, and keeping pace with global technologies through the establishment of specialized vocational centers.
Al-Bakkar concluded by emphasizing that the Ministry of Labor is keen on organizing the labor market, especially in agriculture, construction, and industry sectors, to ensure the employment of Jordanians in positions that were traditionally held by foreign workers. The ministry continues to review policies for employing foreign workers while promoting the skills of the Jordanian workforce.
