Jordan and the European Union on Wednesday co-chaired the 5th ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) on employment and work, hosted by Morocco. Jordan’s representative, Minister of Labor Nayef Istitieh, said that the 2-day ministerial meeting focused on employment and employability of the most vulnerable, especially among youth and women. He said the ministers focused on exchanging best practices for recovering from the COVID-19 crisis and discussing the most pressing labor market challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
As a result of the persisting negative effects of COVID-19, it is becoming more and more challenging for all countries in the southern Mediterranean to find employment opportunities. “We need to redouble our coordination efforts between the two sides of the Mediterranean in order to reduce unemployment rates, keeping an eye on vocational training and lifelong learning,” he said.
Separately from the ministerial meeting, the minister met with representatives of Arab and European labor ministries, as well as international organizations. He discussed Jordan’s need to develop its vocational and technical training system, increase job opportunities, and promote the integration of women into the labor market.