📰 Young leaders are leading a national dialogue in Ajloun to promote employment and empower youth in rural areas.

Young leaders in the “Safe Youth Political Rural Space” hold a dialogue session in Ajloun on the reality of employment and training and ways to empower youth

Ajloun –Intermediaries of Change Center for Sustainable Development, in partnership with Ajloun Community Radio and in cooperation with the German Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, organized a quality dialogue session that brought together young leaders who are members of the “Safe Rural Youth Political Space” with representatives of the Ministry of Labor / National Employment Program, in Ajloun Governorate, with the aim of discussing the reality of employment, training and the skills gap among young people in rural communities.

The dialogue included Riyad Shamout – Director of the National Employment Program, Qusay Al-Kurdi – Partnerships Specialist with the private sector, and Riyad Al-Qudah, Employment and Career Guidance Officer at the Ajloun Labor Directorate, along with a group of young leaders and activists, and representatives of civil society organizations. The discussion addressed the most prominent challenges related to high unemployment rates, the skills gap, and the limited economic opportunities in the Ajloun Governorate.

The project manager, Ahmed Abdul Qader Al-Rababa’a, affirmed that this dialogue represents a qualitative experience in empowering rural youth to actively participate in designing training and qualification programs that respond to their needs, and opening direct communication channels with decision-makers, stressing that these meetings contribute to strengthening trust between youth and official institutions, and support the paths of democracy and sustainable development in less fortunate areas.

For her part, the project coordinator, Reham Ahmed Al-Qudah, explained that this session represents an advanced model for engaging youth in determining their development priorities, stressing that participatory dialogue contributes to building a shared understanding of the challenges, supports the development of realistic and implementable solutions, and enhances the role of youth as active partners in the development process and decision-making.

For his part, the Executive Director of Intermediaries of Change Center for Sustainable Development, Suhaib Ahmed Rababa’a, pointed out that the session provided a vital space for young people to express their needs and present practical proposals, stressing that involving them in dialogue with official bodies contributes to developing more responsive policies and enhances their ability to face economic and social challenges, especially in the areas of employment and training.

In the same context, Riyad Shamout explained that the ministry is continuously implementing quality training programs, and that career guidance is a key entry point for improving employment opportunities, noting that there is a trend to organize a job day in Ajloun Governorate, in addition to the possibility of networking with institutions in other areas, such as Aqaba, to expand job opportunities.

Shamout also affirmed the readiness of the Ministry of Labor and the National Employment Program to cooperate with Intermediaries of Change Center for Sustainable Development and the “Safe Youth Political Rural Space” to implement the outcomes and recommendations of this meeting on the ground, through the development of joint training and employment programs, and the organization of field activities targeting youth, in a way that contributes to achieving a tangible and sustainable impact on improving employment opportunities in Ajloun Governorate.

Riyad Al-Qudah confirmed that employment opportunities are available, but they require readiness and genuine commitment from young people, stressing the directorate’s readiness to provide career guidance and counseling services to job seekers.

Qusay Al-Kurdi also pointed to the existence of cooperation models with international governmental institutions, especially in Germany, and the possibility of developing employment programs or exchanging foreign experiences for young people in cooperation with the private sector.

During the session, participants discussed a number of key issues, most notably the need to develop specialized training programs, enhance career guidance, link education outcomes to labor market needs, and the importance of investing in promising sectors such as tourism and the digital economy.

📌 Recommendations and outcomes of the meeting

• Work is underway to sign a cooperation agreement between the Center for Change Agents and the Ministry of Labor to implement (10) local dialogue sessions in the communities of Ajloun Governorate, targeting young men and women and employers.
• Organizing a mini national career day in Ajloun connects youth directly with the private sector.
• Implementing a specialized training program in artificial intelligence in cooperation with Orange Jordan for a period of (1-2 months), targeting 20 young men and women
• Strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors and civil society organizations in designing and implementing employment programs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of building upon the outcomes of this dialogue by developing sustainable training and employment programs that contribute to the economic empowerment of youth and open broader horizons for their integration into the labor market, thus positively impacting the course of local development in Ajloun Governorate.

📌 It is worth noting that the Rural Youth Political Safe Space operates under the umbrella of Intermediaries of Change Center for Sustainable Development, in partnership with Ajloun Community Radio and in cooperation with the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. It aims to provide a sustainable youth space to enhance the developmental and civic participation of young people in rural areas.

Link to the full dialogue:

Link to the full dialogue: