Amman (UNA-OIC) – Chris S. Murphy, the US Senator from Connecticut, on Wednesday paid a landmark visit to the Wadi Seer Training Centre run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Amman, Jordan.
Senator Murphy received an on-site briefing about the situation of Palestine refugees in Jordan, the response of UNRWA during the COVID-19 pandemic and the way the Agency runs its vocational training programs, the United Nations agency said in a press release.
He was accompanied by US Ambassador to Jordan Henry Wooster; UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini; Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan Marta Lorenzo, in addition to a group from the US embassy and UNRWA staff.
During the tour inside the campus, the delegation was introduced to different workshops including maintenance of mobile phone devices, general electrical installation, carpentry and furniture making and auto mechanics. The Wadi Seer Training Centre was founded in 1962 and offers skills to some 1,500 students today in nearly 50 different educational areas that meet the needs of Jordan’s labor market.
“One of the greatest challenges young people face nowadays is to find a job,” said the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan, M. Lorenzo. “Ninety per cent of our students find jobs immediately after they graduate from UNRWA vocational and training centers in Jordan. The training, skills and experience that these young women and men gain usually help reduce the barriers to the competitive labor market. To continue this positive trend, UNRWA training centers continuously adapt to the changing needs of the labor market.”
During the visit, the US delegation met with several UNRWA students, who described how the education they receive in the Agency’s Vocational and Training Centre contributes to shaping their ambition and personalities. They also opened up about the employment challenges they will face, especially as the pandemic hit hard at the economy in Jordan.
“I was glad to visit the Wadi Seer Training Centre and learn about the vocational training and education programs they provide to refugees in Jordan. These U.S.-supported programs are critical to helping refugees, especially young people, rebuild their lives and contribute to the economy,” said Senator Murphy.
UNRWA in Jordan operates two TVET centers; Wadi Seer Training Centre (WSTC) and Amman Training Centre (ATC). As of April 2021, these centers provide 30 vocational, 16 technical and one trade courses to nearly 3,000 students.
“The digital age has forced UNRWA to review the training it offered to students across the region,” said Lazzarini. “Young Palestine refugees must be on par with their peers around the world if they are to continue being coveted by businesses and firms globally. Robotics, mechatronics and green energy are all new areas that UNRWA has now included in its vocational education programs.”
Last month, the United States announced the restoration of US$150 million to UNRWA and Palestine refugees, restoring its role as a decades-long friend and supporter of the UN agency that provides life-saving human development and humanitarian aid assistance to Palestine refugees across the Middle East.
