Over one hundred participants, representing the vocational industry from the Arab World and the UK, will take part in a conference organised by The British Council on 'Quality in Skills Education and Workforce Development' in Amman.

This initiative is part of the Skills for Employability programme developed by the British Council which addresses the demand for skills in a global economy so that national educational and training systems are better able to respond to labour market demands and learner needs.

This quality assurance international conference, which will be held on December 14 and 15, aims at connecting people in the region to address how best to ensure quality in skills education for the institution and for workforce development.

It will showcase good practice both in the UK and across the region; examine the key challenges facing countries in improving the quality of skills education; and explore potential solutions and ways of cooperating across the region and between the UK and the Arab world. The participants taking part in the conference come from all over the Arab world, the UK, in addition to Vietnam and Pakistan.

The event will highlight related work in the areas of employer engagement, curriculum development, teacher training and occupational standards. It will focus on identifying practical recommendations to advance the delivery of better skills education in the region and on identifying potential pilot projects in the field of assuring and improving quality in skills education. The conference will be facilitated by the British Council jointly with UK expertise.

'In the current global context, competitive advantage is hinged on the quality of skills within any given labour market. In countries such as Jordan where young people represent such a considerable proportion of the population, equipping the next generation with top-notch skills is of utmost strategic importance. We at the British Council feel that we are in a great position to facilitate the exchange of experience in skills development between the UK, the Arab world, and other countries,' stated Marc Jessel, British Council director Jordan.-TradeArabia News Service