In the face of significant employment challenges in Jordan, where youth unemployment rates soar to 25% – double the global average, MadfoatCom, with CFYE support, launched their ‘Empowerment and Employment’ initiative, aiming to create a network of decent job opportunities for marginalised, excluded, and underemployed youth. Within this network, MadfoatCom defines a ‘decent’ job as one that is productive, delivers a fair income, ensures workplace security and social protection, offers prospects for personal development and social integration, and allows youth, especially young women, to voice their needs and participate in decision-making processes.
MadfoatCom’s Approach: Creating Decent Work through Tailored Strategies
To drive and facilitate young people’s access to these jobs, MadfoatCom, in collaboration with the American Institute for Consultation and Training, empowers their young employees with targeted training and development programmes, equipping them with both technical and soft skills necessary for success. To further support their career journey, personal career counsellors help employees in defining and pursuing their unique aspirations, which also feel within reach, thanks to MadfoatCom’s rich networking opportunities. Job fairs, recruitment agencies, and partnerships with other companies help open doors, transforming goals from distant dreams into tangible steps forward.
By employing targeted recruitment strategies to attract, hire, and retain youth, especially young women, MadfoatCom ensures equal access to job prospects. Their support for equal opportunity work is not only shown through their continuous efforts towards the creation of a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, but also by the services and benefits they provide including onsite childcare and parental leave policies, flexible work arrangements, and employee support systems.
Building on these diverse recruitment and training strategies, MadfoatCom then classifies job placements into three distinct categories:
- Waged Employment with Local Partners: A total of 150 jobs will be created and/or matched in various fields such as Admin, HR, Marketing, and Accounting. These partnerships ensure fair work conditions and minimum salary standards.
- Waged Employment within MadfoatCom: A total of 200 jobs across departments like Admin, HR, IT, Marketing, Audit, and Accounting. Employees receive appropriate training and competitive salaries above market average.
- Dependent Self-Employment: A total of 650 jobs, particularly beneficial for women as these roles offer flexible working arrangements, technical support, marketing and branding support, training, and a solid client network. In addition, agents receive bonuses to assist them in acquiring necessary business tools.
With CFYE backing, MadfoatCom is able to recruit the necessary expertise to ensure that these efforts are sustainable in the long-term and the quality of their work with young people is optimised. CFYE’s contributions also helps to accelerate the value realisation of the project and increase the pool of young job seekers, both in Jordan and extended to other locations such as Palestine.
Success Stories (Lynn Jarrar and Yousra Daoud)
In practice, MadfoatCom’s impact is clearly reflected in the stories of employees like Lynn and Yousra, who have found the company to be a vital springboard for their career and personal growth.
Lynn, holding a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in human resources, faced significant challenges as a fresh graduate with limited job experience. Despite her efforts using platforms like LinkedIn, she struggled to find a suitable position, until coming across MadfoatCom through an Instagram post. Following her recruitment and comprehensive training, which included two in-person training sessions on soft skills and workplace navigation, a personalised career coaching session, and an in-depth online course with eight modules, Lynn became a valued member of the company as an HR officer.
Much like Lynn, Yousra was a fresh graduate, who just completed a degree in Electrical Engineering at university. While she successfully became employed in her studied field, Yousra felt unfilled in this initial career choice. Motivated to explore her options, she began searching for positions in different sectors and discovered MadfoatCom, where she applied and was hired as a Community Project Specialist, the very first to work on the CFYE collaboration. After undergoing the same training programme, Yousra began her role, ensuring that youth and women within the project are trained, coached, and hired.
Both Lynn and Yousra speak highly of their learnings and working in a supportive environment that MadfoatCom facilitates, allowing them to connect and feel a sense of fulfilment in empowering others.
The Way Forward
MadfoatCom’s Empowerment and Employment initiative is a testament to the company’s dedication to fostering positive change for Jordanian youth and women. By offering targeted trainings, personalised career counselling, and a supportive work environment, MadfoatCom helps to address the country’s high unemployment rate and empowers young people to thrive in their careers. The success stories of Lynn and Yousra only further demonstrate the transformative impact of these efforts, highlighting how tailored support and skill development can lead to personal and professional growth. As MadfoatCom continues to expand and innovate, its commitment to inclusivity and empowerment remains a guiding force, driving the company’s success and making a significant difference in the lives of Jordanian youth.
Sade Aalto-Setala
December 2, 2024