Note on the findings of a tracer study of RPL beneficiaries in Jordan

Since it began in March 2011, the Syrian Civil War has been an ongoing crisis with impacts felt throughout the Arab States region, and beyond. Many Syrian refugees have fled the conflict to Jordan. In February 2016, as part of the global response to the Syrian Crisis, government and non-government partners met in London to pledge support for Syria and the region. A key result of the conference was the Jordan Compact, a plan to support Jordan's national Syrian refugee response plan. At the time the Compact was signed, Jordan had the second highest share of refugees globally, of which 89 per cent were Syrian.

The Jordan Compact reflected a commitment of the international community to give Jordan access to concessional trade and finance, on the condition that Jordan formalise the employment of 200,000 Syrian refugees residing in the country. Implementation of the Jordan Compact began in 2016 and saw the development and application of measures to facilitate Syrian refugees' access to the Jordanian formal labour market. It included several elements, such as the easing procedures and the waiving fees for work permits in selected sectors, amongst others. This note focuses on the ILO-supported Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Scheme, which contributed to the implementation of the Jordan Compact by allowing beneficiaries to have their skills recognised, providing access to an occupational license, and therefore becoming eligible for a work permit.

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