Minister of Labor lectures at the Royal Jordanian National Defense College

Minister of Labor Ali Zahir al-Ghazzawi emphasized on the importance of the executive measures package implemented by Jordanian government to contribute reducing unemployment and poverty, which are a high priority in the executive plan of the government as an effective package to stimulate the labor market and employ Jordanians. This came during a lecture on Wednesday at the Royal Jordanian National Defense College entitled "Expatriate Labor and Unemployment in Jordan".

Al-Ghazzawi said that the economic recession witnessed by the Kingdom over the previous years in light of difficult political situation of neighboring countries, in addition to the insufficient volume of Arab and foreign investments to provide new job opportunities to accommodate the size of new entrants to labor market, As well as the low turnout in vocational education and enrollment in vocational training programs which reduced the number of vacant jobs for Jordanians and increased the problem of unemployment Especially in light of the repeated waves of asylum, the last of which was the resort of more than one million and three hundred thousand Syrian refugees to Jordan. That also led to an imbalance between local and expatriate employment rates and increasing the proportion of expatriate workers in the sector at the expense of other sectors, thus creating an organizational problem that had to be addressed immediately.

He pointed out that Ministry of Labor is responsible for evaluating and regulating the labor market and contributing with other government agencies and the private sector to provide productive opportunities that generate employment opportunities for Jordanians according to a comprehensive national strategy including policies, programs, projects and procedures.

Al-Ghazzawi mentioned that the Jordanian labor market has witnessed in recent years an opening to the recruitment of expatriate workers. He also pointed out that the number of licensed workers in Jordan reached about 320,462 migrant workers from various Arab, Asian and foreign countries.

During the lecture, Al-Ghazzawi presented the measures taken by Ministry of Labor to regulate the labor market by stop and legalize recruitment, evaluating the labor market and re-organizing it by preparing studies, examining the possibility of following quota and tightening the services granted, and standardizing work permit fees (500) JDs, In order to address the distortions in the fee system and intensify the inspection campaigns. And he pointed to the seizure of about 12948 workers and the deportation of 9,448  expatriate workers, as well as signing sectorial agreements to regulate expatriate labor.

Al-Ghazzawi stressed that the trend towards operating rather than employment to address the problems of poverty and unemployment requires existence of national policies based on the development of the vocational, technical training process and encouraging domestic and foreign investment then operating as a basis for creating job opportunities for Jordanians through adoption self-employment and work in the private sector, bridging the gap by the private sector in its reluctance to employ Jordanians and its desire to employ expatriate workers, and guiding young energies with the institutions that are concerned with acquiring life skills and developing the concept of irrigation thinking.

In coordination with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Labor has prepared the general framework for the reform For the reform of the education sector and vocational and technical training as a major focus in the national strategy for the development of human resources 2016-2025, both short and medium term.

He pointed out that the framework included proposals for development within four axes, namely the legislative, qualitative, quantitative and financial aspects. He indicates that the working groups and committees have started their work in the field of developing this sector and have taken a number of measures, the most important of which is the completion of the draft project of the Supreme Council for TVET To Regulator Body and to address distortions according to international best practices and to be the reference and subordination of the sector to Ministry of Labor and is now in the Office of Opinion and Legislation.

On increase in the participation of women in the labor market, he said that 19 productive branches have been opened in remote areas over the past years. Some 5000 workers and 10 branches under construction will occupy 5100 jobs and 23 branches between the implementation procedures and the search for an investor. there is also a plan to reach 52 production branches by the end of 2018 to be the number of workers 15 thousands. he added that the flexible work system, which was recently issued in Jordan, mainly serves women working and is an achievement.

At the end of the lecture, which was attended by the Commandant of RJNDC, directing staff  and scholars in the national defense Courses 15 and the War course 24, which include a number of officers of the armed forces, security services, officials of the state and a number of Arab and foreign students, Minister of Labor answered  scholars questions and inquiries .