Jordan-Korea Industrial School in Zarqa opens

AMMAN — The Jordan-Korea Industrial School in Zarqa (JOKINZ) was opened on Tuesday as part of a Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) project to  contribute to the Ministry of Education’s efforts to fill the gap in the labour market.

South Korea’s Ambassador to Jordan Lee Jae-Wan, Country Director of KOICA Jordan Office Seo Dongsung and representatives from the Zarqa Governorate and officials from the Ministry of Education attended the event.

KOICA’s “Establishment of Specialised Industrial School in Zarqa (2017-2023) ($10.38M)” project came to contribute to the Education Ministry’s efforts in filling the gap between the industrial market’s demand and the supply of skilled workers while increasing the capacity of the system and the quality of the education provided to students in the industrial stream, said a KOICA statement.

“JOKINZ was born from the Jordanian government’s vision for a future where technical and vocational education and training are mainstreamed. The Korean government is pleased to contribute to establishing JOKINZ. I hope that JOKINZ will act as a key engine in the virtuous cycle between education and economic development in Jordan,” the ambassador said in his remarks.

Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Azmi Mahafzah expressed appreciation of South Korea’s support, especially for Jordan’s education system, highlighting the need to benefit from Korea’s expertise in this area.

“We affirm the keenness of the Ministry of Education to continue strengthening long-term relations between the two countries through updating joint cooperation agreements in the educational field. We also value the importance of the support provided by the Korean Agency for International Cooperation in developing the education system and vocational education in Jordan,” the minister said.

The establishment of the specialised industrial school in Zarqa is in sync with the strategic plan for vocational education reform, Mahafzah added.

The minister also thanked the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and other international organisations that support the education sector in the Kingdom.

The project consisted of establishing facilities totalling 8,577-square-metres —a main building and 12 workshops — and providing state-of-the-art equipment from Korea.

The curriculum includes six specialties in line with national industry standards. The project also envisages capacity-building programmes for teachers, managers and the staff of the Career Guidance Center (CGC) both in Jordan and Korea. 

The project’s strategic partners are the Ministry of Education and Dong-Eui University where the GIZ MOVE-HET programme (Labour Market Oriented Vocational Education, Higher Education and Training) was commissioned along with the curriculum development. 

JOKINZ is expected to accommodate 600 students in grades 11 and 12, and about 50 teachers, career guidance specialists and administrative staff. 

Additionally, it will serve as a model for the Ministry of Education through its newly launched strategy: Vocational Education Reform Strategic Plan (VERSP) 2023-2027.