Under the patronage of Jordan's Ministry of Labour, the Belgian development agency Enabel convened the first policy dialogue on Active Labour Market Policies in Amman on 7 July 2026, bringing together stakeholders to rethink employability in the face of economic uncertainty. The dialogue, titled "Employability in an Age of Shocks," was funded by the European Union's Employment and Livelihood Programme (ELP) and aimed to reassess what "employability" means in a context of economic volatility, regional instability, and non-linear labour market pathways.
The event opened with remarks by EU Ambassador to Jordan Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, Belgian Ambassador Serge Dickschen, and Enabel Country Director Heidi De Pauw. Chatzisavas stated that the EU has placed skills in a lifelong learning perspective and employability at the centre of its policy agenda, both internally and in cooperation with partner countries like Jordan. Dickschen highlighted Belgium's contribution through Enabel to the employability of Jordanians and Syrian refugees, noting the need to close the gap between education and labour market demands. De Pauw emphasised shifting from preparing young people for a single job to equipping them with skills, resilience, and adaptability for constant change.
A strategic panel discussion explored how instability reshapes employer expectations and challenges traditional education-to-employment models, highlighting a mismatch between linear policy assumptions and a labour market defined by frequent transitions and short-term roles. Parallel breakout sessions examined how employers assess readiness under uncertainty and identified transferable skills and learning-to-learn capacities as key. The dialogue concluded with agreement to develop a Policy Insight Brief titled "Employability Under Uncertainty – Implications for Skills Systems in Jordan," which will capture outcomes and inform future discussions. This event is the first in a series of four dialogues aimed at strengthening evidence-based policymaking and aligning skills systems with a rapidly changing labour market.
Jordanian and Syrian refugee job seekers may benefit from more adaptive training programmes; employers in Jordan could see a better-aligned workforce with transferable skills; the EU and Belgian development agencies gain policy insights for future cooperation; and Jordan's Ministry of Labour receives evidence to inform national employment policies. The initiative represents a moderate step toward addressing structural labour market challenges, with no immediate regulatory or financial commitments beyond the existing ELP framework.