U.S. and Jordan Launch Partnership to Assist Vulnerable Youth
Amman – As part of the ongoing cooperation between Jordan and the United States in addressing the needs of vulnerable Jordanian youth, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to launch the Youth:Work Jordan Program. This five-year, $30 million project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will assist the Government of Jordan in partnering with the private sector and civil society organizations to institutionalize a responsive, demand-driven program that will meet the needs of vulnerable youth and their communities.
The Youth:Work Program will initially target six communities in Jordan to provide opportunities for marginalized youth between 15 – 24 years of age who face significant challenges being out of school and unemployed. The program will equip youth with the necessary skills to find employment, become active and positive agents of change within their communities, lead healthier lifestyles, and access public services that respond to their needs. This model will later be replicated in other communities throughout the duration of the program.
The Program aims to improve social services and protection for vulnerable youth by focusing on strengthening the life, employability, and entrepreneurship skills of disadvantaged youth and to align them with market demands. The Program will also build support networks and community-based alliances that connect disadvantaged youth to mainstream economic and social opportunities.
The MOU was signed by USAID Mission Director Mr. Jay Knott, Minister of Social Development H.E. Ms. Hala Lattouf, and International Youth Foundation President Mr. Bill Reese.
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