World Bank: Jordan's Youth and Jobs Project Has "Made Progress"

Al-Anbat- MAYS ALSHAWABKEH 

According to the World Bank, the Youth, Technology and Jobs Project, funded by the Bank for Jordan, is being carried out by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Labor.

In a report on the project's evaluation, the Bank stated that the first portion, which supported Jordan's efforts to develop its digital capabilities, had helped construct a framework for educating people in those skills with the help of the private sector, leading to the creation of a number of employment.

Jordan's Youth, Technology, and Jobs Project was supported by a grant of $36.9 million from the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) and a contribution of $163.1 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

Al-Mamlaka obtained documents showing that the World Bank has so far made seven installment payments totaling $15 million to the project.

To increase Jordanian youth access to employment opportunities and increase government digital services, the World Bank Group Board of        Directors granted $200 million in project funding in March 2020.

The report went on to say that the project also helps government school children improve their digital skills, citing government analyses of digital skill shortages and evaluations of the preparedness of computer science reforms in grades 7 to 2, as well as a ministerial decision allowing the     creation and distribution of curricula.

For the purpose of creating the digital skills curriculum for these public school classes, which is expected to start in the 2023 academic year, (MoDEE)  opened a bid procedure in June 2021.

The Ministry has effectively increased market access for digital enterprises in Jordan to build digital jobs and produce new income prospects for young people in need of technology-based activities, according to the Bank's explanation of the expansion of the digital sector and digital government services in Jordan. The project supported 51 companies in the program "Talents," "Market Expansion," and 6 civil society groups in "Gig", resulting in the creation of 3252 jobs and income opportunities.

The study noted that (MoDEE) had finalized with the World Bank the Digital Transformation Strategy and Implementation Action Plan, where the Project Management Unit undertook a public value assessment to identify the 25 most significant electronic services and started enhancing those services, conducted an e-government regulation review and made recommendations for improvements.

In the domain of digitizing government payments, (MoDEE)  has started a process to promote integration and interchange between government institutions of fundamental financial systems and billing units to develop payment areas.

In a prior evaluation report, the Bank stated that the project had "succeeded in developing sources of growth in Jordan's economy," and that the World Bank project team had commended the Project Management Unit's work for making progress over the preceding six months despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The project was successful in generating sources of economic growth, which are crucial for assisting Jordan's economy's recovery, providing jobs and/or income opportunities, and raising the revenues of technology-based activities."

According to a previous evaluation report from the Bank, (MoDEE)  has collaborated with the Ministries of Education and Labor to make "excellent progress toward the implementation of the project's operations."

On September 14, 2021, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmad Hanandeh announced that 48 organizations have benefited from the Youth, Technology, and Jobs Project's growth incentives since its launch the previous year. These organizations are spread across the project's three growth incentives (competencies, business development, and entrepreneurial platforms), which are anticipated to generate more than 5,000 jobs as a result of these incentives.

The project is anticipated to "deliver digital vocational programs to enhance the skills of 30,000 young people and girls, offer a technology curriculum in government schools from year 7 to 12, and equip dedicated places to work in marginalized areas," according to a previous World Bank statement. 

In the next five years, it hopes to create 10,000 new positions for young people, 30% of which will go to women and Syrian refugees who are engaged in digital entrepreneurship. According to a recent Bank statement, it also plans to digitize more than 80% of government payment transactions and attract fresh private investment of roughly $ 20 million for digital services.