Jordan News

The head of the Young Engineers Committee, Saddam Abu Hazeem, said that the unemployment rate among engineers has reached 40 percent, according to a World Bank study.

Abu Hazeem added that the Young Engineers Conference, organized by the Young Engineers Committee at the Jordanian Engineers Association, came to empower Jordanian engineers and create opportunities, stressing that “our message for engineers is to become leaders and break out of traditional work frameworks, especially in the face of intense competition inside and outside the country.” .

The conference discussed topics related to foreign markets, emerging companies, entrepreneurship and digital transformation, and highlighted the success stories of some of the union’s members.

For his part, Fawzi Massad, vice president of the union, said that 40 percent of newly graduated engineers are unemployed, which is a high percentage, and at the same time, he pointed out that the total unemployment rate in the Kingdom has reached 50 percent.

Massad stressed that it is necessary to cooperate with the Ministry of Higher Education and issue an annual report on engineering professions that suffer from stagnation. He said, “Our latest report shows stagnation in all engineering disciplines,” attributing this to the decline in economic growth, “which does not exceed 2%.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, Muhannad Al-Khatib, stated that two years ago, the ministry reduced enrollment in stagnant majors by 35%, and the ministry encouraged universities to develop new majors to meet the labor market, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

In turn, Ahmed Al-Bashabsha, who graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering last year, said that he is frustrated by the lack of job opportunities, adding that he chose this major because he believed that he had a chance to secure a better future for himself and his family.