Petra, June 18 (Petra) — Al-Hussein Bin Talal University and Italian
non-profit organization ELIS on Thursday signed a cooperation
agreement aimed at enhancing vocational training, building
capacities, and expanding employment opportunities in the tourism and
hospitality sectors.

The agreement was signed under the RE-BUILD international program,
hosted by the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA),
in the presence of the PDTRA Chairperson Adnan Sawair and Italian
Ambassador to Jordan Luciano Pezzotti, alongside representatives of
Jordanian and Italian partner institutions.

The two-year program is supported by the Italian Agency for
Development Cooperation (AICS) and involves several academic and
development institutions from Jordan and Italy.

The agreement forms part of the PDTRA’s efforts to expand local and
international partnerships aimed at developing the tourism sector and
investing in human capital through specialized initiatives that equip
Jordanian youth with skills needed to enter the tourism labor market.

Sawair said the authority is working to strengthen links between
Petra Faculty for Tourism and Archaeology and local and international
institutions to support sustainable tourism development and enhance
Petra’s position as a regional hub for tourism and hospitality
training and capacity building.

He added that the PDTRA will continue building strategic partnerships
with local and international organizations to benefit local
communities and expand employment opportunities for young people.

Sawair stressed that investing in human resources and developing
young talent remains a key pillar of tourism and economic development
in the Petra region.

The agreement aims to develop specialized training programs in
tourism, hospitality and hotel services, facilitate the exchange of
expertise between Jordanian and Italian partners, and support
entrepreneurial initiatives that contribute to sustainable job
creation and local economic development.

The RE-BUILD program represents a model of Jordanian-Italian
cooperation in education and vocational training, focusing on
capacity building, enhancing the skills of young professionals, and
aligning training outcomes with labor market needs to support tourism
sector growth and sustainable development in the Petra region.

//Petra// NQ