Aqaba, Sept. 29 (Petra) -- A consultative workshop with private sector representatives from the Kingdom's southern region on cooperation in technical and vocational education and work-based learning wrapped up in Aqaba on Tuesday.

Opened Monday, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development organized the two-day workshop.

The event was held in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with support from Global Affairs Canada.

The workshop is part of the "Technical Support for Transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Jordan (2024–2027)" project.

The final day covered the hospitality, tourism and travel, construction, built environment and engineering, and hair and beauty tracks. The first-day activities tackled the information technology and business, art, design and creative media, and agriculture tracks.

Talking at the closing ceremony, Hesham Rifai, adviser to the education minister for technical and vocational education presented the BTEC program. He said its approach combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, and its tracks are diverse enough to meet the needs of different economic sectors.

Rifai detailed forms of work-based learning, such as on-the-job training and field visits, which give students real-world experience in actual workplaces and let employers directly help prepare qualified workers who meet their needs.

Afak Ramamneh, director of the ministry's Technical and Vocational Education Directorate, stressed that partnership with the private sector is a strategic dimension. She said it creates job opportunities for young people and supports economic growth, in line with the goals of the Economic Modernization Vision.

Silvia Bonanomi, director of UNESCO's program on transforming technical and vocational education and training in Jordan, underscored that the organization is working with the ministry to build lasting cooperation between vocational schools and the private sector.

She said the workshop's outcomes will help define practical steps to expand work-based learning opportunities for students.

//Petra// NQ

29/09/2026 15:55:29