The project, promoted and supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – Amman Office, in the framework of its initiative titled “Support to the creation of livelihood means for the Syrian refugees and the vulnerable Jordanians through the reinforcement of social stability in the Governorates of the South of Jordan – AID 11324”, aimed to reduce the economic and social impact of the Syrian crisis in Jordan through the creation of sustainable livelihood means for refugees and host communities.
The project addressed the challenges related to access to income and unemployment in the areas of intervention, with a focus on the situation of Syrian refugees. These are related to the gap between the competencies needed and requested by employers and those offered by job seekers, along with the limited capacities of local Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to address them. The project was based on the belief and the evidence that the provision of technical and vocational education, along with consistent job services, are means to break the vicious circle of unemployment, poverty, and social exclusion of vulnerable groups.
The initiative, implemented by ICU with the local partner Business Development Center (BDC), a non-profit organization with the goal to trigger economic development in the country, targeted 1.500 people (30% Syrian refugees, 50% women, 7% people with disability) among vulnerable population living in areas of intervention, such as women, youth, unemployed or underemployed people, and people with disability, and 5 CBOs, in the governorates. Of these, 800 underwent specific technical and vocational training courses, while 700 benefited from the empowerment of the 5 CBOs in the Governorates of of Karak, Tafilah, Ma’an and Aqaba.
