USAID/SABEQ trains 60 female fresh graduates in Irbid and Karak to become ICT and Career Development trainers

The workshops trained 60 female fresh graduates, from Karak and Irbid to become ICT and Career Development trainers.

The aforementioned governorates were selected due to the highly challenging business environment that women and youth entrepreneurs face. As part of its support to this initiative USAID/SABEQ plans to establish Business Development Centers in the governorates to foster female entrepreneurship using IT tools. These Business Development Centers will offer women a wide scope of skill enhancement opportunities, IT training, a showroom where women entrepreneurs could display their handicrafts and local products as well as agricultural and dairy products. In addition, the center will have an internet café with hours dedicated to specifically to women.

Mr. Rodrigo Ortiz, USAID/SABEQ Program Chief of Party said: "This initiative focuses on encouraging female entrepreneurs in the regions as an effort to support women's overall empowerment." "We will continue to work on enhancing women's role in the community and in creating the right environment for females to work in" he added.

As a result of this initiative, each trainee will deliver an action plan that shows how they will cascade skills and transfer knowledge they have acquired throughout the training to other members of their organizations. In addition, 30 out of the 60 students from both governorates will be employed as part time computer trainers in the Business Development Center once it is established.

The USAID-funded Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and Quality Program (SABEQ) is a five year broad economic development initiative implemented by BearingPoint, Inc. and a sizeable team of international and Jordanian partner firms. By both supporting improvements in the business environment and providing assistance to expand innovation and productivity in Jordanian businesses, to support the main objective of building up the private sector as a powerful engine of economic growth.