24 young people complete the fourth Youth Career Initiative in Jordan

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) August 1, 2011 - In 2007, IBLF launched YCI Jordan in association with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF), under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania. Three leading hotels in Amman championed the pilot programme: the Four Seasons Amman Hotel, the Marriott Amman Hotel and the Sheraton Al Nabil Hotel and Towers. In 2009, the Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel joined the initiative, and was soon followed by Le Meridien Amman Hotel in 2010. Since 2009, the King Abdullah II Fund for Development has provided financial support to enable the local operation and growth of the programme.

YCI is a 24-week education programme delivered in partnership with the international hotel industry that seeks to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with valuable life and work skills in order to help them improve their employability and make informed career choices. Haya Al Attyat, a 2011 YCI Graduate who trained at the Four Seasons Amman said:

"The programme is based on a holistic approach, including practical training, computer skills and soft skills training. When I started the programme, I hoped that it would later help me secure a suitable job with a steady income. I can now look forward to creating a professional career."

Speaking on behalf of the five participating hotels in Jordan, Mr Benno Geruschkat, General Manager, Grand Hyatt Amman, commended the good work of all organisations and individuals involved in enabling the success of the fourth year of YCI in Jordan, from the teams managing the programme to the teachers, mentors and parents of the students.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Ghaleb Al-Qudah, Deputy Director General of JRF, explained how their partnership with the YCI programme helps the Foundation to deliver its mission of empowering disadvantaged local communities and young people. 

IBLF and the Jordan River Foundation will soon be exploring expansion opportunities in other important tourism centres across the country, including the potential involvement of a number of hotel companies that have supported the implementation of YCI programmes around the globe.

In the words of Mr Michael Nazzal, Chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association: “The tourism sector in Jordan will be requiring 25,000 qualified labour over the next five years. Therefore, programmes like YCI are very much relevant and needed, given the magnitude of the challenge within the industry.”

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