Aqaba, Jordan - YEP MED (Youth Employment in Ports of the Mediterranean) held its 3rd Steering Committee meeting in Aqaba on May 2-3, 2023, under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Hussein Al Safadi, CEO of the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC). The meeting was held in partnership with the Escola Europea and six other countries as part of the EU programmes. The main objective of the meeting was to review the status of the project’s activities.

During the meeting, H.E. Mr. Hussein Al Safadi welcomed all the Steering Committee partners and highlighted the benefits of the project for youth, especially NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and women. He emphasized how YEP MED will increase local employment opportunities through the strengthening of skills and extended his gratitude to the EU's ENI CBC Med Programme for supporting Mediterranean ports, including Jordan, and to the Escola Europea for their efforts in executing the project across Mediterranean countries.

Mr. Eduard Rodés, the Executive Director of the Escola Europea - Intermodal Transport, also expressed his thanks to all the partners and the project team. Eng. Mohammed Al-Sakran, Executive Director of Transport and Logistics at ADC and Project Manager for YEP MED in Jordan, thanked all the partners and emphasized the importance of the project for youth and women in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone. He highlighted how the project will enhance their knowledge according to the best practices in the port and logistics community.

Since the start of the project, more than 3000 students have participated in YEP MED courses, from which 45% were women. From that pool, 490 students went on to complete internships within their port communities, and from that pool, 350 secured employment. The meeting also broke down the milestones by country, which further highlighted the successes to date:

• Barcelona: 1095 students, 238 internships and 66 jobs
• Valencia: 724 students, 80 internships and 63 jobs
• Civitavecchia: 620 students, 85 internships and 48 jobs
• Beirut: 399 students, 37 internships and 94 jobs
• Aqaba: 266 students, 11 internships and 2 jobs
• Damietta: 737 students, 8 internships and no jobs recorded (as of May 2023)
• Marseille: 214 students, 31 internships and no jobs recorded (as of May 2023)
• Tunis: No data was yet available

Currently project partners are also involved in the preparations of the YEP MED Talent course – an experiential training programme that will bring together 40 students from the 8 port communities involved in YEP MED. As a whole YEP MED has proved to be of great added value for the different port communities, aligning the needs of the sector with training, providing an innovative methodology for training future workers and inviting cooperation between people, communities and countries in the Mediterranean. YEP MED is also working on the establishment of an association of training centres in the Mediterranean to ensure the longevity of the collaborative work accomplished thanks to the EU-funded project.

The YEP MED project aims to empower youth, especially NEETs and women, by providing them with access to training and job opportunities in the Mediterranean port and logistics sectors. The success of the 3rd Steering Committee meeting in Aqaba marks an important milestone in the project's progress and underscores the commitment of all partners to promote youth employment and economic development in the Mediterranean region.

The YEP MED project has a budget of €2.9m, with a 10% contribution from the European Union, and a duration of 30 months since it began in September 2020. For more information you can contact Paula Baltar from the project office at paula.baltar@escolaeurope.eu.