Training That Pays Off — Overcoming Youth Unemployment in Jordan

In Aqaba, Anera is connecting young Jordanians to the workforce, one certification, one interview, one job at a time.

Jordan’s unemployment rate sits at 16% — and is dramatically higher among young people. As youth grapple with the widening gap between training and employment, they often find themselves caught between gaining skills and finding jobs. That is what HIRE program was designed to bridge.

Anera’s Hands-on, Industry-Ready Employment Pathways program (HIRE), implemented in collaboration with the First Institute for Training and Education, gets young Jordanians job-ready and connected to employers in Aqaba’s hospitality and tourism sectors across four tracks: lifeguard, housekeeping, waitering and front desk.

All 82 participants enrolled in the program have successfully secured employment opportunities, achieving a 100% placement rate. But numbers only tell part of the story.

HIRE is not a theoretical exercise. It is a structured pathway from training to direct employer connections in Aqaba’s hotels, restaurants, and tourism facilities, and it follows participants all the way through to employment.

Let’s hear what some of the participants have to say.

Front Desk: Waiting on a Contract

Deya’a joined the front desk track to develop the customer service and communication skills that hotels want to see. Since finishing, he has applied to two properties in Aqaba. “I am now awaiting the signing of my contract, a milestone I am very much looking forward to,” he says.

Housekeeping: One of the Best Decisions He Made

Ahmad first came across HIRE online. He decided to enroll, went through the full course, and came out with hands-on knowledge of professional housekeeping standards. Then came the interviews. “After going through several interviews, I am proud to say I am now employed at a hotel here in Aqaba,” he says. He calls the decision to enroll one of the best he has made.

Lifeguard: A Certification That Opened Doors

For Yousef, completing the lifeguard track meant one thing above all else: a qualification. That certification is what put him in front of employers. He has since secured a position at one of Aqaba’s hotels.

Adam’s path looked a little different. He passed his certification exam and found that the opportunities that followed were wider than he had expected. “The training not only gave me the skills but also created multiple employment opportunities I hadn’t anticipated,” he says. “I am now working as a lifeguard on one of the boats in Aqaba, an experience I truly enjoy.”

Waitering: Putting Training to Work Every Day

Abdallah came to the waitering track to sharpen skills he already had. The training was delivered, and several interviews later, he landed a position at a restaurant in Aqaba.”I am excited to be putting my training to work every day,” he says.

A Job Is the Point

Five participants. Five different paths into the workforce. What they share is that before HIRE, those doors were not open.

For Anera and the First Institute, a 100% placement rate achieved before the program has officially closed is proof of concept. The training works. The employer connections work. And for the participants, the outcome is not a statistic. It is a job.