INJAZ

INJAZ
إنجاز
Founded 1999
Type Non-profit organization
Focus Education, Youth
Location
Employees
60
Volunteers
3,636 (2012/2013)
Website injaz.org.jo
INJAZ Headquarters in Amman, Jordan (2013)

INJAZ (Arabic: إنجاز‎‎, meaning "achievement") is a youth-centered non-profit organization in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. INJAZ focuses on youth education, development, and employment through a variety of programs, which are delivered to students in public schools, universities, community colleges, and various social institutions. It aims to provide youth with skills and resources to enter the workforce and to fill the gap between the country's educational system and the needs of the job market.[1] INJAZ implements its programs across Jordan, in twelve governorates,[2] by working with partners from the private and public sectors.

Background

Young people in Jordan (15–29 years) represent a high proportion of the total population, so the country faces a challenge of unemployment and increasing underemployment.[3] The prevalence of unemployment stems from the gap between skills taught in the formal education system and skills required in the Jordanian job market.[4] Because of this gap 70% of Jordanian youth who are one year out of school are still unemployed and caught in the period of waithood. The extremely high youth unemployment rate in Jordan, significantly higher than the already high national rate, creates an unsettling outlook for the future. Moreover, more than half the youth in Jordan are economically inactive, most of them being young females. Even outside of employment, many Jordanian youth are detached from civic participation in any form.

History

INJAZ was established in Amman, in 1999, as a project under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded organization Save the Children. In 2001, INJAZ was re-launched as an independent non-profit, Jordanian organization under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah with the mission of inspiring and preparing youth to become productive members of their society and accelerate the development of the national economy. Since its inception, INJAZ has successfully reached over 725,000, beneficiaries across the kingdom, with the help of its network of dedicated volunteers and partners from the private and public sectors, and in full coordination with the Ministry of Education and King Abdullah II Fund for Development.[5] It is also a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide.

Programs

INJAZ School Students (2011)

In total, INJAZ has reached over 725,000 students in schools, universities, community colleges, and various social institutions throughout the Kingdom. In 2011-2012, INJAZ worked with 195 public schools including United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and military culture schools, in addition to 36 universities and community colleges around the kingdom. INJAZ recently expanded into 66 social institutions such as youth centers, orphanages, and centers for youth with disabilities. Furthermore, states that females slightly outnumber males students, an important accomplishment, as women represent the majority of unemployed and economically inactive population in Jordan.[2]

Programs are both curricular and extra-curricular and focus on such themes as economics, financial literacy, work-readiness skills, soft skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, career guidance, and social responsibility.[2] The programs are managed according to the three distinct entities within INJAZ, each of which covers a specific organizational goal. Skill Building Program seeks to make youth more competent through curriculum-based, capacity-building programs. Inspirational and Career Guidance Program seeks to make youth more active through extra-curricular programs that take place outside the classroom, inspiring youth about their future and offering them career guidance. Entrepreneurship and Employment Program seeks to make youth more productive through programs that focus specifically on capacity-building in business and social entrepreneurship, through practical training and independent projects, as well as preparing them for the job market through job placement programs.[6]

The courses in the curricular component are derived from several sources: INJAZ develops some of its own courses, it also adapted from programs from Junior Achievement Worldwide and Young Enterprise. Non-local programs are adapted to meet local cultural standards. Courses are conducted by volunteers from the private, public and civil society sectors who are trained by INJAZ.[7]

Organizational structure

INJAZ is headquartered in Amman, with field offices in Irbid, Zarqa, Karak, Wadi Musa and Aqaba and currently employs over 60 staff.[8] Daily operations are managed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Management Team. As of 2013, the CEO is Deema Bibi, who assumed the position in 2005. INJAZ also has a Board of Trustees and a Board of Directors, founded in 2005.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Schwartz, Ariel (2011-07-13). "INJAZ Turns Young Jordanians Into Entrepreneurs | Fast Company | Business + Innovation". Fast Company. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  2. 1 2 3 "INJAZ Annual Report 2010-2011" (PDF). Injaz.org.jo. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  3. ↑ Kraetsch, Mary. "Taking Stock of the Youth Challenge in the Middle East | Brookings Institution". Brookings.edu. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  4. ↑ "Jordan | U.S. Agency for International Development". Jordan.usaid.gov. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  5. ↑ "Home". INJAZ. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  6. ↑ "MENA Development Report, World Bank". Retrieved 2013-12-15.
  7. ↑ "The Report: Jordan 2009, Oxford Business Group". Retrieved 2013-12-15.
  8. ↑ ""Our Team"". Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  9. ↑ "INJAZ Annual Report 2008-2009" (PDF). Injaz.org.jo. Retrieved 2013-11-11.

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