Yasmeen Shahzadeh, McGill University
Syrian and Jordanian youth in Jordan are experiencing challenges with regards to their access to education, their employment, and the transitions between the two. Amidst rising costs, economic fragility, and political uncertainty, youth in the country are rendered increasingly vulnerable.
In this working paper, LERRN researcher and McGill University Masters student Yasmeen Shahzadeh explores the current circumstances related to youth’s education and employment in Jordan, and discusses some challenges in linking both phases based on the field work she conducted in Amman, Jordan in the summer of 2019, as well as using existing academic literature and non-governmental publications.
This paper also introduces several recommendations for research and action that can inform future applied research and discussions of education and employment policy and practice in Jordan and in the region. First, advocacy to work to increase minimum wage for citizens and non-citizens in Jordan is crucial in light of rising costs of living. Second, exploring the possibility of opening professions to Syrians in Jordan is crucial, given the increasingly protracted nature of this conflict – drawing attention to the opportunity of opening up teaching jobs to Syrians. Third, it advocates for a market-based approach to designing training, education, & employment programs to graduate youth with in-demand qualifications.
Lastly, this paper highlights the importance of further research and a focus on knowledge translation to operationalize research into policy response, donor action, and organizational programming.
View the full LERRN Working Paper Series here:
More about the author
Yasmeen Shahzadeh has a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University with a major in International Development Studies, and a double minor in Communications Studies and Social Studies of Medicine. Currently, she is in her second year of her Masters in Education and Society at McGill, and has a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies.
Watch this video to learn more about Yasmeen’s field work in Jordan.