Jordan pushes digital outsourcing, youth jobs

AMMAN — Jordan’s Information and Communications Technology Association (Intaj) and Education For Employment‑Jordan (EFE‑Jordan) are expanding a joint initiative to grow the country’s digital outsourcing sector and boost youth employment after an initial phase that placed 158 graduates and helped six Jordanian IT firms close 12 commercial deals in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The partnership assessed 51 local IT companies, selected 10 for a capacity‑building programme, and ran 12 specialised training programmes that enrolled 341 young participants, 297 of whom completed requirements.

"The next phase will focus on enhancing 'competitiveness' of Jordanian companies to access new markets and preparing youth to work in the digital outsourcing sector," said Nidal Bitar, chief executive officer of Intaj.

The pilot phase converted training completions into documented job placements at a 53% placement rate: 158 employment outcomes from 297 completions. Programme organisers say this dual approach — simultaneously strengthening company commercial capabilities and training entry‑level workers to international standards — generated measurable commercial results beyond domestic placements. Six of the ten companies that went through the specialised capacity programme secured 12 contracts in Saudi Arabia and Oman, providing real client references for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market entry.

Programme details and measured outcomes

• 51 Jordanian IT companies underwent capability assessments.
• 10 companies were selected for a specialised capacity‑building programme; six concluded 12 deals in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
• 12 specialised training programmes enrolled 341 young participants; 297 completed the requirements.
• 158 graduates were placed into jobs, representing a 53% conversion of completions into placements.

Ghadeer Khafash, chief executive officer of EFE‑Jordan, emphasised the paired nature of the upcoming projects: "The projects currently under development will provide skills for Jordanian youth to join the digital outsourcing sector, enhance their competitiveness and access to opportunities to achieve sustainable job opportunities, in parallel with supporting companies seeking qualified talent to expand their operations."

Organisers say the second phase will expand the target markets to include European Union countries alongside continued outreach to GCC states, building on the Saudi Arabia and Oman wins. Company‑level competitiveness support will run in parallel with youth skills development so that trainees enter programmes tied to active commercial pipelines rather than disconnected talent‑development tracks.

Context and significance

Jordan’s approach addresses both supply and demand constraints in the digital outsourcing value chain. On the supply side, youth are being trained for business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology roles to internationally employable standards. On the demand side, capacity building aims to make Jordanian firms more competitive for contracts in neighbouring Gulf markets and Europe, increasing the likelihood that graduates can transition directly into employer pipelines.

Programme backers argue that Gulf client acquisitions serve as tangible commercial references that European procurement teams increasingly recognise, potentially accelerating access to higher‑value markets. The initial phase’s combination of measurable placements and cross‑border commercial deals provides a practical template for scaling the model.

As the initiative moves into its second phase, stakeholders say they will continue to monitor placement rates and firm-level deal flow as key indicators of impact, with the explicit goal of expanding both the number of youth placed into sustainable jobs and the international reach of Jordanian outsourcing companies.