One of the best long term solutions to poverty is to ensure that every citizen has secure access to a stable and sufficient income through employment. This axiom serves as the foundation for numerous JOHUD initiatives that strive to create thriving local economies, even in the most remote communities.
In order to keep up with the demands of rapidly evolving international and domestic markets, the Jordanian workforce needs to have access to the most up-to-date training in competitive fields and remain at the forefront of technological innovation. As such, JOHUD has launched a series of initiatives to ensure that its Community Development Centres (CDCs) are equipped to provide modern and comprehensive professional development training.
These programmes offer young people and women good opportunities to acquire the critical skills demanded by current and emerging markets in the manufacturing, agriculture, trade, tourism, hospitality, and finance sectors. The CDCs also provide community residents with training on skills such as effective communication strategies, teamwork, decision making, CV writing, and job interview-preparation. These opportunities ensure that job seekers throughout Jordan are able to present themselves as valuable assets to prospective employers.
Many of the CDCs also help employers connect with and recruit qualified candidates who have completed JOHUD’s professional training programmes. Additionally, JOHUD has launched three offices to help train and secure jobs for local youths in regions suffering from some of the highest rates of unemployment. Through collaboration with the UNFPA, over 4942 young people have found work thanks to programmes run from these offices.
Micro-Enterprise
A central pillar of the federal government's poverty alleviation strategy is to promote the growth of micro enterprises. JOHUD supports this effort by providing the CDC network with the resources needed to offer monetary and technical assistance to small businesses in local communities. This assistance helps prospective entrepreneurs secure loans that enable them to establish, manage, or further develop their projects.
The Small Business Unit
The Small Business Unit (SBU) represents another component of JOHUD’s broader economic empowerment strategy, by serving as a means for community residents to become self-employed. Since it was established in 1996, the SBU has helped thousands of clients establish or expand their businesses. Primarily, the SBU provides non-financial support to entrepreneurs in the form of training, capacity building, and advisory services.
However, where appropriate, the SBU also provides access to credit through its loan operation. Loans are provided to entrepreneurs, such as women, who might otherwise encounter difficulties in gaining access to credit. Through the CDC network, the SBU ensures that, even in remote areas, people can gain access to the financial support they need to help their businesses grow.