Under the auspices of the Minister of Labor Zain inaugurates the first training center for the maintenance of Mobile Telephones

Amman, May 8, 2008: Zain, a member of the Zain group, the leading mobile operator in Middle East and Africa, inaugurated today the first center for the maintenance of mobile equipment in the Kingdom.

The Zain Mobile Maintenance Center, which was inaugurated under the auspices of the Minister of Labor, Engineer Bassem Al-Salem, is considered to be one of the initiatives

which Zain announced it would be undertaking in the aftermath of the visit which His Majesty King Abdullah The Second had honored the company headquarter with, and in which the pioneer role that Zain plays in supporting the local society and in supporting the development of the sectors of youth, education and training, was emphasized.

The center, which is located within the area of the Vocational Training Corporation in Zarqa, shall soon be receiving students, and an announcement about the distribution of applications for the first training course will be made next week.

On his part, Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti, the General Manager of Zain confirmed that the company, being the pioneer of mobile communications in the Kingdom is concerned with both: the development the communications sector locally, and simultaneously, with the effective contribution in the process of local development. Hence, the initiative to establish the first center for training on the maintenance of mobile equipment comes to serve both above said targets. This is so because mobile communications which have become an essential need for more than 80% of the society, have in turn, increased the need for maintenance services of mobile equipment, in addition to the fact that such initiatives yield the creation of more jobs for the youth.

Al- Shatti added that Zain’s strategy focuses intensively on partnership with the Public Sector in facing the major challenges that confront our National Economy as demonstrated by poverty and unemployment. He also indicated that the new training workshop will provide the necessary training and qualification for the laborers aiming at raising their competence, abilities and productivity, which in turn will be reflected in more feasible placement on the job market thus raising their living standard.

Zain had signed a partnership agreement in august of last year, with the Vocational Training Corporation to establish the center. Under this agreement, Zain furnished and wholly equipped the center to the higher standards. This included furniture as well as testing and maintenance equipment. The company also provided the center with all the necessary requirements that would guarantee high training skills. The joining youth will be trained by experts and specialized personnel and will be granted a qualifying certificate upon their graduation which will give them priority in the labor market.

Parallel to the development of the communications market in the Kingdom, this center will help provide the adequate training and qualification to the trainees by raising their competence, abilities and productivity; thus reflecting on their employment opportunities and living standards. The course which will extend over three months will include a theory part in addition to the applied practical part which will be the foundation in building those vocational skills that qualify the graduates to immediately practice upon graduation. A special syllabus has been developed for this center and the future trainers have received their training.

The syllabus touches on many subjects that include ways of dismantling and handling the equipment, the study of electronic circuits as well as other related subjects and concepts.

Those who are interested in joining the center can visit any of Zain’s showrooms that are spread all over the Kingdom to obtain an application form. The Center will be receiving 20 trainees in every session and will graduate more than 160 students annually.

The General Manager of the Vocational Training Corporation, Mr. Majed Al-Habashneh said on his part upon the inauguration of the center that this inauguration constitutes a true embodiment of the cooperation between the Public and Private Sectors. He emphasized the center’s concern to provide the adequate training programs and to unify the efforts to bring about effective and pertinent training plans that allow the development of the individual’s skills and intellectual capabilities in that fashion that will help him gain professionalism while meeting market demands at the same time. This in itself will help in the development process.

Zain adopts an institutional strategy that reflects social responsibility. It aims to launch continuous initiatives and mainly concentrates on preparing Jordanian youth to join the labor market. The Fast Link Fund for University education, which awards 42 scholarships to distinguished students across the Kingdom annually may be the most prominent of its initiatives. The company also established centers for information technology and communication that aim at the development of Human Resources in some of the areas of the Kingdom by re-enforcing those skills. The company also adopted the computerization of the scholastic sciences program in full. It also organized training for students through the program known as “Injaz” that focused on developing their practical skills and on qualifying them to enter the labor market. All this is in addition to adopting and improving several schools across the Kingdom.