The government on Sunday launched "Youth, Technology and Jobs" project and officially released its first component titled "Jordan Growth Incentive" programme to enhance the digital sector.

Other components of the project will be announced in successive stages, which include programmes to help startups, develop digital skills of young people and public school students, and support the national military service the government reactivated last week, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The "Jordan Growth Incentive" includes three sub-programmes:  The Jordan Growth Incentives Programme — Competencies, Jordan Growth  — Market Access, Jordan Growth — Free Business Platforms.

"It is par excellence national project that aims at preparing youth to enter the labour market", Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz said during the launch ceremony held at the Prime Ministry.

He noted that what distinguishes the project is "the real partnership between the ministries and private sector's institutions in the ICT sector", highlighting the role of sector's start ups in recruiting young Jordanians. 

Part of the "Youth, Technology and Jobs" project is concerned with school education, as the Ministry of Education's strategy focuses on technical and vocational work, to help young men and women eliminate the "culture of shame", the premier said.

The project also includes military service programme, dubbed locally as "banner service”, which was launched last week in "a new way", focusing on values of discipline, as well as field work, Petra reported.

Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Muthanna Gharaibeh said that digital transformation and digitisation have a "great impact on creating new jobs fairly” across the Kingdom.

He added that more than 1,500 job opportunities, during the two-month lockdown period, have been created, thanks to technology.

The majority of these new jobs were services exported to businesses overseas, which enhance Jordan's trade balance by generating hard currency to the country, he noted.

"Digital transformation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity," the minister said.

The project's first component, " Jordan Growth Incentive" programme, aims to support the expansion of digital companies, as well as stimulate digital businesses to create new jobs in the digital economy by providing employment grants that cover up to 50 per cent of the salaries of the new employees for a period to six months, Gharaibeh added.

The minister said that two other incentive programmes will be launched in September and October, namely the Jordan Growth-Market Access programme, which aims to support Jordanian companies, especially emerging ones, to access regional and global markets, and the Jordan Growth-Entrepreneurship Programme to support the employment of young people and women in partnership with civil society organisations.