Latest news with #vocationaltraining
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Joramco Academy welcomes TVSDC President Dr. Raghda Al-Faouri for an official visit
Amman, Jordan — Joramco Academy, the educational arm of Joramco, the Amman-based aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility and engineering arm of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), was honored with an official visit from Dr. Raghda Al-Faouri, President of the Technical and Vocational Skills Development Commission (TVSDC), accompanied by a senior delegation. This visit highlighted the success of the collaboration between the academy and TVSDC, which aims to advance vocational training and provide new opportunities for young Jordanians in the field of aircraft maintenance Last year, the TVSDC signed a partnership agreement with Joramco Academy to sponsor the tuition of select promising students for the four-year program in Aircraft Maintenance for Technicians, after which the graduates of the program are guaranteed employment at the company. This agreement highlighted the strategic goals of the TVSDC in developing the skills of talented youth and upskilling them for highly demanded roles through vocational and technical education. During the visit, the delegation met with representatives from Joramco and Joramco Academy as well as the sponsored students. These students shared their personal experiences at the academy, highlighting the tangible impact of the partnership. Dr. Raghda reviewed the academic performance of these students, ensuring their smooth progress and evaluating the positive outcomes of this collaboration. In addition, the visit included a tour of the Joramco Academy premises, as well as the facilities of Joramco. This partnership serves as a model for how strategic alliances can equip Jordanian youth with the skills needed to thrive in high-demand, global industries like aviation. Commenting on the visit, Fraser Currie, Chief Executive Officer at Joramco, said, 'At Joramco Academy, we are firm believers in the value of education that is aligned with industry and its needs in shaping successful career paths. The vocational and technical education help us toward our goals of supporting young talents and decreasing unemployment rates in Jordan.' Dr. Al-Faouri further added, 'This partnership is a reflection of a shared vision between TVSDC and Joramco Academy to equip Jordanian youth with specialized skills that meet global industry needs. By working together, we are laying the groundwork for sustainable career pathways and positioning our youth to access opportunities not just in Jordan, but in the global aviation market.' About Joramco With more than six decades of experience, Joramco has built a sound track record as a leading independent commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility serving a wide range of customers in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Africa and the CIS countries, offering services on several aircraft models from the Airbus, Boeing and Embraer fleets. Strategically located at a free zone area in Queen Alia International Airport in Amman-Jordan, Joramco's facility includes 5 hangars that can accommodate up to 22 aircraft with expansion plans currently in progress. Joramco is certified by a number of international regulatory authorities including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC). For more information about Joramco and Joramco Academy, please visit the links below: Joramco Website: Joramco Facebook Page: Joramco LinkedIn Account: Joramco Twitter Account: Joramco Academy Facebook Page: Joramco Academy Instagram Account:
Telegraph
28-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Cutting apprenticeship funding is the purest Labour folly
Sometimes in Government it is the policy changes that cost no money that can make the biggest difference. All too often, policies are slogan led. 'Record number of doctors and nurses' actually meant bigger bills and lower productivity. The 'size of the Army' without any focus on lethality meant big, hollow forces that were not ready and were not deployable. 'Bobbies on the beat' ignored the growth of cybercrime and fraud to record levels. And the annual war cry of 'record funding for the NHS' seems to do nothing for either patient experience or outcomes. But one policy, that cost nothing and was made under the last Conservative Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, was the simple act of putting apprentice courses on to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) hub. Gillian was herself a former apprentice. UCAS has been traditionally where over three quarters of a million students apply for university each year, and it often seemed the dividing line between the two cultures – Further Education and Higher Education. Many have missed the fact that since the last Conservative government reinvigorated apprenticeships from 2010, the growth in this form of study has boomed. Not only do apprenticeships help with real vocational skills, they give students a real working experience, routine and pay. Employers also tell me that those who come up through the apprenticeship route tend to stick around longer with the same employer and have a much better work ethos. When Boris Johnson made me the 'shipbuilding czar' in 2019 it gave me an insight into the wider maritime industry. I knew Barrow-in-Furness from submarine building and as a Lancashire MP I was used to the aerospace sector, which had a long history of apprenticeships right up to degree level (level 5 and 6). I never met anyone in the Northwest who didn't like apprenticeships. Maybe that is a result of our engineering history or our record of manufacturing. Historically some of the biggest providers of such apprenticeships are aerospace firms such as BAE, MBDA, Rolls Royce and Airbus. I also distinctly remember a visit to shipyards and the maritime sector in the Southwest. They couldn't recruit: while all the time schools were steering pupils away from apprenticeships, preferring them to study Mickey Mouse courses at trendy universities. There was a real snobbery around even the degree apprenticeships. One FE college principal complained to me that some schools wouldn't even let him in to advertise his courses. And this year I heard about a famous public school in the Southeast whose teachers were so horrified when a pupil wanted to apply for an undergraduate apprenticeship rather than a Russell Group university that they pressurised him to abandon his quest. This snobbery is ridiculous and risks robbing our economy of the real skills needed. I notice that the UCAS website says a degree apprenticeship means 'you won't always get the traditional university experience.' But who's going to miss childish student union 'sit ins', wokery and the inadequate academics that some universities seem to offer in exchange for nine thousand pounds of debt. Today's apprenticeships have grown to produce every kind of trained professional from architects to doctors. Some universities work in partnership with employers to provide courses that really make a difference. Our country is desperately short of the skills we need to compete in today's world. I often write in these pages that Defence has to be one of the Government's top priorities, and it does. But if there is a single stand out area that we must reform and invest in, it is Education and skills. If we want to create wealth, compete on the global stage and attract investment then that is where we must apply effort. This week Labour has yet again struck a blow against growth by announcing the cutting of funding to the highest levels of apprenticeships. That is a truly ignorant thing to do: what we spend on skills we will always get back.
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt launches vocational irrigation schools, scales up Nile hyacinth recycling initiative
Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is advancing two ambitious initiatives designed to modernize water infrastructure and promote sustainable development: the launch of vocational schools specializing in irrigation technology and the expansion of a programme that recycles invasive Nile hyacinth into marketable products. Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam chaired a meeting this week with senior officials, including Salwa Aboulala, head of the Regional Training Center for Water Resources, to assess progress on both fronts. The session focused on plans to establish a new generation of technical schools that combine academic coursework with hands-on training in areas such as modern irrigation systems, drainage, AI applications, land surveying, and pump maintenance. 'These schools will help build a highly skilled workforce capable of managing Egypt's water systems with cutting-edge technology,' Sewilam said, adding that the initiative supports the national 'Irrigation 2.0' strategy for water sector modernization. The meeting also reviewed progress in the Ministry's Nile hyacinth recycling programme, which aims to transform the fast-growing aquatic plant—long regarded as an environmental nuisance—into an economic resource. Since its inception, the initiative has held 16 training workshops across four governorates, reaching nearly 400 participants, many of them women, who have learned to produce handicrafts from harvested hyacinth. The recycling programme is part of the broader 'Sustainable Development from the Heart of the Nile' initiative, which seeks to empower women and youth through environmentally friendly microenterprises. In addition to technical training, participants receive support in marketing their products via social media and trade fairs. A permanent workshop has also been established at the training center to facilitate continuous production and skill-building. Looking ahead, the ministry is exploring the commercial potential of converting dried hyacinth into biofuel, charcoal, and particleboard—creating new job and investment opportunities while reducing waste and ecological impact. Sewilam emphasized the importance of partnering with international donors and private investors to expand the project's reach. He also called for closer collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower to connect programme graduates with green job opportunities and to develop domestic and export markets for hyacinth-based goods. 'These efforts not only address environmental challenges but also support the green economy, foster social inclusion, and enhance climate resilience,' he said.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre sale 'yet to be finalised'
The Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre was established in 1919 as a training farm for men returning from WWI. Photo: Pinterest The future of the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre in Wairarapa is still up in the air, seven years after it was put into liquidation. The Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre was established in 1919 as a training farm for men returning from WWI. The centre near Masterton was known as the Wairarapa Cadet Training Farm until its name change in the early 1980s. Declining student numbers in recent decades saw the [ private training establishment] and agricultural education provider put into liquidation in 2018 . While its commercial dairy farms continued to operate, various groups have tried to find a suitable buyer since. Liquidators said in a report last September, there was $15.2 million owing to 248 unsecured creditor claims. There was still a "significant amount outstanding" to the secured creditor and pre-liquidation payroll taxes to Inland Revenue too, they said. Liquidators said at the time, they were in contact with a potential buyer, and a sales and purchase agreement had been drafted. "A sale and purchase agreement has been presented to this party and while discussions with this party have been positive, we have not received a signed agreement," it read. National Party MP Penny Simmonds in select committee. Photo: Phil Smith Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds said a deal had not yet been completed. "The liquidators continue to work with a potential buyer on purchasing the land, but a deal is still to be finalised," she said. A sale would be subject to the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre Act, which would have to be approved by the Minister of Agriculture. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said he was aware of options for the resolution of the centre's liquidation, but details were commercially sensitive. Meanwhile, the government was looking to replace workforce development councils with industry skill boards to develop qualifications and standards for their industries. Simmonds said while this would not directly impact Taratahi, a food and fibre industry skills board will likely be established. "It is likely there will be an Industry Skills Board covering the food and fibre (primary) industries but the Government has not yet made a decision on how many Industry Skills Boards will be established and what industries each will cover." Simmonds said tertiary education providers would use the qualifications and standards developed by industry skills boards to deliver programmes to learners in a range of contexts including on at specific facilities like Taratahi. The liquidator has been approached for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Trade Arabia
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Trade Arabia
Volvo CE expands Iron Women programme to India
In a major move, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) said it has begun expanding its global vocational initiative - Iron Women - to India in a bid to address both its industry gender disparity and the need for skilled operators and technicians. The pioneering model aims to reshape societal norms in India that discourage women from technical vocations while supporting underprivileged communities to access training. The program is driven by a collaboration between Volvo CE India, dealer partner Pollutech Engineering and customer Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited (KCCL). This new phase in the construction-focused Iron Women program comes after an initial roll out in Ukraine last year, where the need for qualified operators to support rebuilding efforts has never been more critical, said the company in a statement. According to Volvo CE, India's construction equipment sector faces a significant gender gap, particularly in operator and technician roles. This is made worse by limited access to training and education for women from underprivileged backgrounds. At the same time, there is a widespread shortage of adequately trained and skilled operators in the region, regardless of gender, it stated. The Iron Women program has been established to address these three interconnected challenges. It aims to open the doors to employment for underprivileged women, equip them with industry-specific skills and foster a diverse workforce to meet the demands of the sector. Tomas Kuta, the Head of Sales Region Asia at Volvo CE, said: "The Iron Women Program is a powerful step towards shaping an inclusive future in our industry. It is not just about training women - it is about unlocking potential, creating opportunities, and reshaping perceptions." "This initiative reflects our commitment to building a workforce that is diverse, skilled, and future-ready," he stated. The initiative aims to fill a skills gap in the region by offering operator training for women. "The model has already been introduced in Ukraine, where women have been trained in vital skills to support rebuilding efforts at a time when unemployment and labor market gaps have been impacting the industry. Now, the program has opened in India from March, with participants already taking advantage and developing their learning," he added. The initiative in India offers three specific training programs: an operator program, a workshop technician program, and a technician program for the factory floor. Over several months, participants benefit from access to cutting-edge technology provided by Volvo CE and practical training and jobsite placements with dealer partner Pollutech Engineering and mining customer Kalinga Commercial Corporation Limited. It is an unrivalled platform to gain valuable skills from leading experts in their field and secure the required certification for real-world job opportunities, it stated. "I come from a place where women are rarely seen in such roles, but this journey has changed my life. I came here unsure of what I could do - now I leave with a skill, a voice, and the courage to dream bigger. Iron Women made me believe that no dream is too bold," said Laxmi Naik, one of the participants of the program. Empowering women in construction Dilip Tripathi, CEO of Pollutech Engineering, said: "Empowering women through skill development isn't just the right thing to do – it's the smart thing to do." "The Iron Women Program is building a new generation of trained, confident professionals who will shape the future of our industry. We are proud to be a part of this transformative journey," he stated. A workshop technician program and a technician program for the factory floor are also included.
