Workshop held to help aid beneficiaries secure sustainable employment

AMMAN — The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the National Aid Fund on Monday held the first workshop that “lays the ground for cooperation” to implement a nationwide programme to help NAF beneficiaries move away from aid dependency and obtain sustainable employment opportunities.

The workshop was carried out under an EU-funded programme, according to an ILO  statement sent to The Jordan Times. 

This cooperation is a crucial element of the graduation programme under the project “Towards an inclusive national social protection system and accelerating decent job opportunities for Syrians and vulnerable Jordanians”, which is funded by the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis (EU Madad Fund) and implemented by the ILO and UNICEF.

The objective behind these workshops is to strengthen the cooperation between ILO and NAF employees, by increasing their knowledge of the graduation programme.

The overarching objective of the EU MADAD Graduation Programme is to help unemployed and economically inactive Jordanians and Syrian refugees, who rely on cash assistance, transition to employment.

This effort will help equip the target beneficiaries with skills and competencies relevant to the labour market, enhancing their employment prospects and contributing to reduced unemployment and poverty rates among Jordanians and Syrians, the statement said. 

This project will further contribute to alleviating the burden of cash assistance services in Jordan, important amid deteriorating economic conditions and increased levels of vulnerability. This will help facilitate the coverage of new entrants into NAF assistance programmes, according to the statement. 

With social protection a key priority for both the EU and the UN, this programme aims to build on the strategic partnership with the Ministry of Social Development. 

This partnership embeds joint commitment to enhance coordination, integrate planning and monitor the government’s social protection efforts, within the scope of the National Social Protection Strategy, read the statement.