Amman, Oct. 14 (Petra) – Director General of the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC) Ahmad Gharaibeh said that the employment rate among the corporation’s graduates has reached 62 percent, reflecting the effectiveness of its training programs that address the needs of diverse productive sectors and keep pace with the future of professions.
Speaking at a Government Communication Forum session with media representatives on entrepreneurship and professional development, Gharaibeh said that the number of trainees enrolled in the corporation’s programs has exceeded 12,000 this year.
He noted that the VTC offers 138 training programs, 90 percent of which have been updated to align with local and regional labor market requirements. Among these are 35 new programs in emerging technical and vocational fields designed to make training outputs more relevant to real-world employment needs.
As of early October, 52,130 applicants had registered for vocational training, of whom 24,653 were accepted based on admission criteria. Since the beginning of the year, the corporation has launched 22 training projects, Gharaibeh said.
He added that the VTC seeks to modernize its training environment by fully qualifying its trainers annually and establishing new workshops and specialized centers including the Ramtha workshop and the Jewelry and Gemstone Training Center to enhance hands-on training according to international standards.
Gharaibeh emphasized that the corporation’s focus has shifted from merely "training hands" to "training minds," preparing graduates to meet labor market demands that now require creativity, specialized skills, and adaptability.
On digital transformation, he said the VTC is advancing steadily toward automating its services through the "Sanad" platform, implementing a performance indicator system for institutes, and incorporating virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D simulation technologies into training to make the learning experience more interactive and realistic.
He noted that the corporation places special emphasis on Centers of Excellence across the Kingdom, in line with its vision to develop and elevate the quality of vocational training as a cornerstone for preparing skilled national talent.
The VTC currently hosts several specialized centers, including the Cisco Technology Academy, the Jordanian-German Automotive Technology Center, the Pharmaceutical Industries Center, the Center of Excellence for Bakery in Marka, and the Occupational Health and Safety Institute. Recently, it launched the Jordanian Center for Jewelry and Gemstones in Abu Nseir and the Salt Handicraft Center and is preparing to open both the Agricultural Technology Institute in the Jordan Valley and the Green Professions Center, in partnership with KOICA, by 2028.
According to Gharaibeh, the corporation’s main tasks under the Economic Modernization Vision include providing vocational training opportunities for all job seekers across age and education levels through training-to-employment programs with the private sector, skill qualification programs for regional and international labor markets (such as Germany, Canada, Poland, and Italy), entrepreneurship programs funded by government and international organizations, remote work programs with the World Bank for markets in the Gulf and the United States, and digital trade and e-commerce training in partnership with Jordan Post.
He also highlighted ongoing cooperation with the private sector through training-to-employment agreements, apprenticeship programs supervised by the VTC, and joint development of training standards and graduate assessment criteria to meet market needs.
The VTC, Gharaibeh added, continues to expand its international footprint through the upcoming Jordanian-Moroccan Center of Excellence, expected to begin operations between 2026 and 2028, and through achieving European Training Foundation (ETF) accreditation for nine institutes, with all institutes expected to be accredited by 2029.
He pointed to the success of the German Vocational Training Program Partnerships for Training, Development, and Labor Migration, which enrolled 500 young Jordanians. Of these, 38 passed the P1 German language level, and 12 are now working in Germany under apprenticeship programs with a monthly salary of €1,000, pending full professional certification.
At the start of the session, Zaid Nawaiseh, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Government Communication, said the VTC enjoys Royal support and close follow-up from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, noting that nearly half a million Jordanians have received vocational and technical training and successfully joined the labor market.
He added that the VTC has achieved its targets under the first and second phases of the Economic Modernization Vision, strengthening its role in empowering youth with skills that open doors to employment.
Nawaiseh said the corporation continues to build strategic partnerships with public and private institutions, both domestic and international, to deliver high-quality training that addresses unemployment and creates job opportunities.
On women’s empowerment, Lina Shanior, Director of Business Development at the VTC, said the corporation’s efforts align with national initiatives to increase women’s participation in the workforce by improving access to vocational programs and addressing obstacles such as transportation. The VTC provides transportation allowances and organizes community-based training programs in cooperation with associations and civil society organizations.
Shanior added that women account for 42 percent of VTC trainees across 33 centers nationwide, with the highest participation rates in Amman, Zarqa, Madaba, and Irbid.
She also highlighted the inclusion of persons with disabilities in training environments through updated curricula and facility adaptations. The Russeifa Institute, she said, is a successful model in this area, following the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II, with around 200 graduates with disabilities to date.
VTC’s Director of Communication and Media, Jaafar Rousan, said that under the second phase of the Economic Modernization Vision, the corporation aims to reduce unemployment and boost economic growth by promoting decent work that ensures fair hours, health insurance, social security, and the elimination of stigma around vocational jobs.
Meanwhile, the VTC’s Director of Curricula, Programs, and Examinations, Ramzi Hroub, said the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions (AQACHEI) oversees the development of the National Qualifications Framework, which integrates academic, vocational, and technical qualifications and supports lifelong and non-formal learning through practical experience.
He explained that the framework facilitates student mobility between academic and vocational tracks, ensures program quality, and bridges the skills gap between education outputs and labor market demands.
//Petra// AF
