Twenty pairs of young eyes are fixated on the blade of a kitchen knife, as its holder swiftly sways it back and forth against a steel rod, honing and sharpening with a rhythmic clink of metal against metal. The setting is a kitchen-style room, referred to as a ‘cold kitchen’, and this is a class at the Madaba Vocational Training Center (VTC), which recently underwent a major overhaul of its organizational structure, training curriculum and facilities. The revamp came as part of a Siyaha initiative to upgrade the Vocational Training Corporation – Hotel & Tourism Unit and the Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) in Jordan in order to address the pressing need for skilled labor in the local tourism sector. The Madaba VTC was selected to be a model center in this upgrade process, whereby the new learning model will be implemented and developed in Madaba before being adopted by other VTCs nationwide.

Mr. Khamis Abu Judeh, a student who just stepped out of the kitchen class wearing his slightly lopsided white chef’s hat, talks about his training with gusto. Having finished Tawjihi (the local high school degree) with a focus on hotel studies, Khamis wanted to continue his studies in that field. Encouraged by his parents, who saw a good future with hotel training, Khamis chose the nearby Madaba center for his training, and does not regret his choice. “Everything is available here, good facilities, books and equipment. I even regret doing Tawjihi; I wish I had come here earlier!”

Next door, another group of twenty young men in smart uniforms are learning the ins and outs of housekeeping, as they work in a demonstration area separated into three sections. A mock bedroom, sitting room and bathroom stand side by side, waiting to be cleaned, tidied and prepared for guests who will never come. Mohammad Al Khuffash, who is in this class, prefers working in a hotel to the last vocation he had studied for because it involves dealing with people rather than sitting in front of a computer all day. Having already obtained a certificate in IT, Mohammad recently decided to switch to tourism as he saw it as a better option. “My father encouraged me to study here, because with all the developments taking place at the Dead Sea and Aqaba, there is much opportunity for jobs.” Already he is aspiring to a career in the hotel sector, wanting to work his way up through housekeeping to the front office and beyond.

According to Manager of the Madaba Center, Mr. Jihad Masandah, the 60 students who now train there during the current academic period were selected from an overwhelming 120 applications, many of which were sent from private sector companies wanting training for their staff. Mr. Masandah cites several reasons for the increased popularity of the Madaba VTC as a result of its development. One is the length of the program, which has been reduced from two years to six months at the center, plus a further six months working in the industry, and another is the allowance of JD50 that trainees are paid each month. “Now, after six months of intensive training in the basics of the hotel and restaurant business, followed by six months of work, students are better prepared to enter the market when they graduate,” says Mr. Masandah. Another big change, and a very important one according to Mr. Masandah, is the acceptance of female trainees, who currently make up a third of the total number of students being trained at the center.

Ms Hiba Masanda decided to enter the tourism field when she heard about the center, as she saw a promising career in the hotel sector with a good income. It also suits her cheerful and outgoing personality, and she is looking forward to interacting with people, including tourists, and learning about other cultures. “I’m very excited about working in a hotel. My parents did not accept at the beginning but I convinced them,” says Hiba. Although she was attracted to studying at the Madaba VTC, she did not know much about the business at the onset of her training. “I came to the center with no clue about the hotel business, and have learnt a lot, from our trainers and guest lecturers. We learnt about the kind of opportunities that are available to us in the hotel business. It raised our aspirations.” Hiba looks forward to showing off her cooking skills in a professional kitchen one day.

About the Model Center

An assessment that had been conducted to identify the situation of the VTC centers showed that the learning environment within the centers is often far removed from what actually happens in the modern workplace. In addition, there were a range of problems highlighted which were impacting on the quality of training and learning. As a result, several measures were identified in order to improve the situation at the centers, and these are currently being implemented at the ‘Model Center’.

The purpose of the Model Center is to serve as a pilot for restructuring the VTCs according to a strategic plan for the Vocational Training Corporation – Hotel & Tourism Unit and the Vocational Training Centers, which was developed by Siyaha. The strategic goals for the centers seek to create a new learning model for vocational training, which enhances the effectiveness of all the elements that comprise a quality vocational center. Rather than adopting a piecemeal approach, the development of this model center will create a structured framework for implementing the necessary actions to achieve the strategic goals and allow changes/amendments to be made before rolling the concept out to all centers.

Why Madaba?

Madaba was selected as the preferred location for the model center for a number of reasons, including that it is relatively new and creates a positive impression. Also, the hotel training unit is relatively self contained and the quality of facilities is generally good. Also, there is room to expand and improve the classroom facilities. Finally, the center offers a good representative sample of many other centers.

Introduction of a New National Curriculum in Hospitality Skills

Dr Joseph Ruddy, Component Leader, USAID Jordan Tourism Development Project (Siyaha) projects a graduation of 4,200 students from 11 centers, more than doubling the output in 3 years, with all these students destined for front line jobs in hotels and restaurants in Jordan. The trial period for the newly developed national curriculum in hospitality skills – level 1 has been such a success that HE Mr. Khalil Kurdi, Director General of the VTC, has decided to introduce the new curriculum across all centers by March 2007.

Related Developments

In addition to developing the model training center in Madaba, Siyaha is currently working with the Vocational Training Corporation and the Ministry of Labor to develop a dedicated, full training facility at the Salt VTC Center with 20 hotel bedrooms and a capacity for 200 students. In addition, a complete renovation and refurbishment plan is being implemented at the Aqaba VTC Center, which will have a capacity for 120 students.