Jordan Times
Friday, December 23, 2005
'New approach required
to empower vocational training sector'
Speakers urged the panelists to come up with feasible
recommendations to be embraced by all parties involved
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN — Representatives from the Vocational
Training Corporation (VTC), the private sector and NGOs on Wednesday said it was
time to forge a true partnership that would put vocational training in the
Kingdom on the right track.
In their diagnosis of the status quo, speakers at a workshop designed to
institutionalise this partnership said although there has been cooperation for
decades between the VTC and other organisations in the private and NGO circles,
what has been achieved so far is not enough.
In his address at the event, VTC Director General Ziad Matarneh said a new
approach was required to empower the vocational training sector to catch up with
the accelerating developments in the IT and technical arenas.
Otherwise, he added, the VTC would be without enough support while it struggles
to improve the lives of 50 per cent of the young workforce and thousands of
dropouts from the regular educational system every year — the categories of
youth that comprise the bulk of trainees.
Matarneh said each of the parties involved in the vocational training process
should assume its part of the mission, ending an ongoing blame game with a new
approach that would put the VTC on the right path.
For its part, the agency would do its best as a member of the team, according to
the official, who stressed that the corporation was capable of meeting the
challenge.
“If the VTC cannot respond aptly to the demands of the private sector, maybe
we'd better close down and look for other alternatives,” he said.
Matarneh added that the workshop would naturally witness heated arguments and
accusations would be traded.
For years officials have accused private entrepreneurs of preferring to hire
foreign labour for lower salaries and limited benefits, while enterprises have
always complained that the output of the vocational training process does not
completely match the market demands.
Speakers urged the panellists to come up with feasible recommendations to be
embraced by all parties involved.
Marwan Kheitan, a representative of the private sector, agreed. He said the
workshop comes at a time when the last thing needed is to deal with the event as
“an ordinary reception,” and insisted that the recommendations of the one-day
workshop should be mandatory for all.
Kheitan described the relationship between the government and the private sector
over the past years as futile, saying “each side only heard its own voice.”
He pointed out, in particular, the long-time arguments over whether or not the
country should facilitate recruitment of foreign labour. The process should be
relaunched with a “serious dialogue,” the businessman said.
General Federation of Jordanian Women President Ons Saket, speaking on behalf of
NGOs, highlighted the concept “development through partnership,” calling for
further efforts to ensure institutionalised cooperation between the public
sector, the private sector and civil society institutions.
Such partnership in the vocational training field, she said, has to meet several
challenges related to women. Planning of training should take into consideration
the need to address the culture of shame among women and remove obstacles facing
them as they seek to join the labour market.
Concluding the opening ceremony, Minister of Labour Bassem Salem urged
panellists to “come up with workable solutions and recommendations,” pledging
that the government “is committed to study and implement feasible suggestions”
consistent with Jordan's vision for human resources development.
Participants in the sessions that followed discussed an array of topics, with
focus on case studies, while experts from foreign donor agencies such as Japan's
JICA and Arab vocational training officials shared their experiences with the
gathering.