Amman, Jordan | 22 December 2025
On Monday, December 22, 2025, EDAMA Association for Energy, Water, and Environment convened the Water and Energy Sector Council to review the progress of the Capacity Building Project under the WE Skill initiative and supervised by the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC). This milestone project is part of MOVEHET II implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in partnership with the Government of Canada. The project aims to strengthen the institutional framework of the Sector Skills Council by developing a sustainable operational model that serves both sectors. The meeting brought together training providers, Council members, and representatives from Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC).
The meeting opened with welcoming remarks by EDAMA’s CEO, Mr. Imad Zureikat, followed by a speech by the President of the Council, Mr. Abdul Muhdi Al-Battayneh. The agenda included a keynote presentation by Dr. Yousef Al‑Abdallat, Vice President of AQAC, highlighted the Commission’s vision following its recent restructuring and outlined its key outcomes. He noted that all education pathways have now been brought under the oversight of a single national commission to ensure the quality of learning outcomes nationwide. He also emphasized the critical role of Sector Skills Councils in bridging the gap between education outputs and labor market needs. In this context, he pointed to the establishment of new sector councils and confirmed that more than 145 occupational standards have been developed overall to date across all sectors, including eight standards developed so far in the Water and Energy sectors.
The meeting also reviewed the project’s key outputs and EDAMA’s role as the executive arm of the Council. Participants were introduced to the national platform for vocational and technical education and training in Water & Energy, with emphasis on its strategic importance considering the recommendations of the second phase (2026–2029) of the Economic Modernization Vision. The platform aims to serve students, training centers, and companies by providing specialized content, occupational standards, and supportive knowledge resources.
Discussions further underscored the importance of strategic partnerships among all stakeholders to enhance vocational education and training outcomes, improve labor market alignment, and strengthen the integration between sector needs and qualified national talent. The presentation also outlined mechanisms enabling training centers to list their programs on the platform and allowing employers to advertise job vacancies and connect with job seekers.
The meeting addressed findings from studies examining gaps between education outcomes and labor market requirements, as well as opportunities for collaboration between training centers and companies through work-based learning programs and short courses, contributing to the upskilling of the national workforce.
The meeting concluded with an extended open discussion session, during which participants emphasized the importance of moving toward the practical implementation of the meeting’s outcomes to strengthen the vocational and technical education and training ecosystem and support the development of qualified human resources capable of meeting labor market needs at the local and regional levels.
