Crown Prince attends launch of ‘1 Million Jordanian Coders Initiative’

AMMAN — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Wednesday attended the launch ceremony of the “1 Million Jordanian Coders Initiative”.

The initiative, implemented by the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF), the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and the UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, aims to train 1 million young Jordanians on coding and computer programming techniques through free online courses, granting them accredited international certificates and equipping them with the skills needed to enter the labour market in this field. 

The launch ceremony, held at the King Hussein Business Park, was attended by UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, ICT Minister Muthanna Gharaibeh and several officials and diplomats from Jordan and the UAE. 

CPF CEO Tamam Mango said in her opening speech during the event that around 65 per cent of the jobs that will be created in the next 10 years will be in completely new professions to the labour market that do not currently exist. 

Around 45 per cent of existing jobs today will be automated in the next five years, she noted, adding that a third of the skills that will be required in the coming 10 years are considered unimportant today.

The initiative aims to equip the young generation with the skills required for the future labour market and the transformation it is undergoing, and employ them with the language of the century; coding, Mango said. 

She stressed that Jordan is currently ranked first in the world in terms of online Arabic content.

By the year 2020, she added, the world will need an additional 1 million coders on top of those who are currently studying the field at colleges and universities, prompting the launch of the initiative to design a free online training platform in cooperation with the best companies around the world, giving young people a chance to enter the field. 

“A few weeks ago and under a Royal Decree, the first Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship was created in the region, which indicates the Kingdom’s readiness for digital transformation as a major priority,” Gharaibeh said during the ceremony.

He highlighted that the initiative will help future generations come up with creative solutions to deal with their problems.

In a video showcased during the ceremony, oraganisers referred to the 2018 World Economic Forum report, which indicates that due to today’s faster Internet, artificial intelligence, enormous volume of data and cloud technology programming and IT jobs will be the most in demand in the upcoming phase, especially in 2022, making coding the basic language that builds future jobs.

The initiative is the culmination of cooperation between the Jordanian and UAE governments, the goal of which is to produce a number of Jordanian digital experts and equip them with the skills to lead through free online training, accredited certification, scholarships, online forums and even job opportunities, according to the video presentation. 

For his part, Gergawi said that Jordanians are the most equipped for today’s challenges. 

The world has lived through three industrial revolutions and is currently in the midst of the fourth, he said, noting that programming will be the language of future communities. 

The Emirati minister discussed seven developments in the world related to programming and coding, which include shaping the world’s economy, the role of programming in reshaping human knowledge, the digitisation of the world’s governments and saving billions of dollars through e-payment gateways. 

He stressed that this phase is a turning point in history during which the region can build a better future and utilise its talent pool for this purpose.

In a panel discussion held on the sidelines of the event, Business Development & Partnerships Manager at Udacity Rawan Gebran, Public Policy Manager at Facebook Levant Tara Fichbach, Country Manager at Microsoft Levant Hussein Malhas and General Manager at Bayt.com Omar Tahboub discussed and explained how their companies will contribute to the initiative and what their plans are for the future of coding in the region.

Faris Srour, a young Jordanian who benefitted from the initiative, shared his success story with the attendees during the event, highlighting how the programme helped him automate many of his duties at work in logistics.

Another beneficiary, Nada Qasrawi shared her dream of opening her own company and how she came across the initiative on Facebook and signed up to achieve her goal.

Those who wish to sign for the initiative can access the website http://staging.jordaniancoders.com/, pick one of four main courses and then attend a training course of two to three weeks, making them eligible for the advanced three-month course that allows one to obtain the accredited certificate. 

Hasan Al Qawasmeh, one of the attendees in the event from Al Qadiseyah Community College, told The Jordan Times that he is very excited to sign up for the programme to come up with solutions for the community in the future.