On his first day in Amman, Rooseboom met with the Embassy’s newly launched Youth Advisory Committee, which is made up of 8 youth from different sectors and geographical areas. The Embassy will regularly collaborate and consult with them on Dutch programming in Jordan to ensure that youth have a say in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies, policies, and programmes that impact them and their communities. In addition, he also met with the Embassy’s Advisory Committee of Entrepreneurs – another committee made up of 12 young entrepreneurs that will bring their voice and input to the Jordanian entrepreneurial ecosystem and the Netherlands’ flagship programme Orange Corners which is set to launch in Jordan in 2022.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan, H.E. Harry Verweij stated on occasion of Ambassador Rooseboom’s visit: “Providing prospects and opportunities for youth is a key focus across all of the Netherlands’ support to Jordan. In close partnership with our local partners, our programmes focus on providing youth with the essential skills required to find quality and sustainable jobs, through TVET, entrepreneurship and educational programmes.”  

Rooseboom held separate bilateral meetings with Their Excellencies Minister of Youth Mohammad Al Nabulsi and Minister of Labour Nayef Stetieh. Rooseboom discussed topics that were brought to his attention during youth consultations in Jordan and reaffirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to invest in skills and jobs for young people and strengthening the voices of youth, emphasizing that Jordan is one of the priority countries for the Netherlands’ Youth at Heart strategy.

Ambassador for Youth, Education and Work, Rooseboom stated: “It’s wonderful to be back in Jordan and see the innovative power and ambition of young people. It is up to us, policy makers from governments, as well as international organisations and private sector to adapt to the realities of youth and make sure young people have the skills, the space and the opportunities to flourish.”

The Ambassador’s visit to Jordan also included a number of field visits to observe the implementation of Dutch funded projects in person and to have a dialogue with youth involved in these projects and listen to their experiences. On the agenda were a trip to a UNICEF operated Makani centre to meet with Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi and other refugee children and a visit to the Anabtawi Sweets Factory, where the Netherlands-funded Challenge Youth for Fund Employment (CFYE) programme is being implemented to capacitate youth in both soft and technical skills, while also carrying out community sessions to create a mindset for change in favor of women’s economic participation and create an enabling and equitable work environment. Furthermore, Rooseboom visited the Al Hussein Technical University, part of the Netherlands’ funded “Skilling for Increased Economic Participation of Youth” project which aims to empower Jordanian youth by upskilling them in the ICT sector thus increasing their opportunities for economic participation.

To keep pace with this youthful world, the Netherlands is increasingly putting youth at the heart of its development policies. The Netherlands continuously invests in skills and jobs for young people and works on improving prospects for young people through a distinctive approach that bridges the gap between the skills young people learn and what the labour market demands. In doing so, the Netherlands makes sure to strengthen young people’s voice through meaningful participation in our policy cycle and in our dialogue with international partners. In Jordan, youth interests are mainstreamed in all of the Netherlands’ development programming, providing access to education and employment opportunities for males and females, refugees and host communities.

The Ambassador’s visit to Jordan also included a number of field visits to observe the implementation of Dutch funded projects in person and to have a dialogue with youth involved in these projects and listen to their experiences. On the agenda were a trip to a UNICEF operated Makani centre to meet with Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi and other refugee children and a visit to the Anabtawi Sweets Factory, where the Netherlands-funded Challenge Youth for Fund Employment (CFYE) programme is being implemented to capacitate youth in both soft and technical skills, while also carrying out community sessions to create a mindset for change in favor of women’s economic participation and create an enabling and equitable work environment. Furthermore, Rooseboom visited the Al Hussein Technical University, part of the Netherlands’ funded “Skilling for Increased Economic Participation of Youth” project which aims to empower Jordanian youth by upskilling them in the ICT sector thus increasing their opportunities for economic participation.

To keep pace with this youthful world, the Netherlands is increasingly putting youth at the heart of its development policies. The Netherlands continuously invests in skills and jobs for young people and works on improving prospects for young people through a distinctive approach that bridges the gap between the skills young people learn and what the labour market demands. In doing so, the Netherlands makes sure to strengthen young people’s voice through meaningful participation in our policy cycle and in our dialogue with international partners. In Jordan, youth interests are mainstreamed in all of the Netherlands’ development programming, providing access to education and employment opportunities for males and females, refugees and host communities.