Policy brief

Main findings from a pilot on upgrading informal apprenticeships in Jordan

Upgrading informal apprenticeships has a great potential as a poverty reduction method as it directly targets the main skills training to which the poor have access. It is a step by step process, based on constant negotiations with the employers; i.e. not all improvements in terms of contract, OSH, training contents and working conditions can happen at once, and trust building is as important as the immediate outcomes in the training process.

The ILO, in collaboration with the International Youth Foundation (IYF), implemented a pilot initiative for upgrading informal apprenticeships in 31 garages in Jordan. The initiative aimed at (a) developing apprenticeship contents and processes, (b) linking trainees with employers for on-the-job training, (c) improving occupational health and safety conditions at the workplace, (d) improving organization and workplace management, (e) organizing testing for occupational licenses of the trainees.