Nearly 1,000 Youth to Benefit from IT Skills Training

13 Nov 2011 AMMAN ----November 13, 2011-------The International Youth Foundation (IYF) and Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge IT Skills Center have joined in partnership to enhance youth employability in Jordan as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded program Youth: Work Jordan (YWJ).

During the one-year training initiative, Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge IT Skills Center will equip almost one thousand youth in Southern Shouneh, Mafraq and Sahaab with IT skills to enhance their employment prospects.

Mr. Salah Abu Osbeh, executive director of Professional Partnerships at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) said: "We are extremely happy to be part of this initiative. We believe we are able to provide more and contribute more to the society."

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Based on a job market assessment carried out in selected communities throughout Jordan, YWJ found IT to be a required skill for youth seeking to secure and retain jobs in growth sectors of Jordan’s economy. A five-year initiative of the USAID, the IYF, and the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development, Youth: Work Jordan aims to create an enabling environment for disadvantaged youth, ages 15 to 24, through partnering with the public, private, and civil society sectors to improve services for youth who are out-of-school, unemployed, and lack opportunity.
To address the need for youth to gain basic IT skills, Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge IT Skills Centerwill offer two unique programs – basic IT literacy and business-related IT skills –which will be delivered over the year by a team of dedicated and highly-experienced trainers in the areas of Mafraq, Sahab and Southern Shouneh.

To ensure the program’s sustainability, Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge IT Skills Centerwill also support and build the capacities of those community-based organizations (CBOs) working in partnership with YWJ so that they are equipped to manage and train youth in IT skills.

YWJ currently operates in nine communities throughout Jordan. In these communities and neighborhoods, over half (64%) of young people leave school before completing grade 12, and many have employment aspirations which do not match the current Jordanian reality. Many of these young people are keen to develop their skills, particularly through non-formal training programs.

About Youth:Work Jordan:

Youth: Work Jordan is a five-year initiative of the United States Agency for International Development, the International Youth Foundation, and the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development. Youth: Work Jordan is creating an enabling environment for disadvantaged youth, ages 15 to 24, through partnering with the public, private, and civil society sectors to improve services for youth who are out-of-school, unemployed, and lack opportunity.

About Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge IT Skills Center:

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge Information Technology Training Center (TAG Cambridge IT) was established in 2001 after a comprehensive agreement signed between Talal Abu-Ghazaleh E-Training and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) -University of Cambridge.
This cooperation aims at delivering IT training courses online and other learning resources. Today, International diploma in IT skills is proud to have a presence through 20 locations in 12 different Arab countries where there are more than 70 accredited centers with plans to cover more in the near future

Media team: Rania Faouri, Senior Communication Manager, International Youth Foundation – Youth: Work Jordan, +962 6 585 5506 ext. 107 | Mob. +962 795922305 | r.faouri@iyfnet.org http://www.youthworkjordan.org