In Madaba, 19-year-old Mohammad is learning and earning

Four months into the Azem programme, Mohammad is a machine operator and a supervisor at a paper factory on the outskirts of Amman. The 19-year-old has a signed contract, social security, and a team he manages daily. 

"The programme taught me how to become a leader inside a company," he says. "It gave me the skills and the confidence to keep growing.” 

Through Azem, a vocational training programme supported by UNICEF and implemented by the Business Development Center (BDC), Mohammad was placed directly into formal employment, where he learned the machines from the inside out. 

"This opportunity is a proof that if someone believes in you and gives you a chance, you can do anything. I feel proud." 

Like every job, the role brought its own challenges. 

"I'm the youngest person here," Mohammad says. "Some people looked at me and thought, how is this kid going to manage us?" 

This is where the social and leadership training part of the programme made the difference. Mohammad learned how to communicate, resolve conflict, and earn respect without demanding it. 

"The programme elevated my outlook on how to deal with people in the workplace," he says. "We're not only colleagues. We are also brothers and sisters. We go out together after work. This company became my second home. I spend ten hours here every day. The people here are exactly like my family." 

Before Azem, Mohammad's reality was different. He dropped out of school just after grade ten. A tough economic reality meant he had to rush to support his family. What followed was unstable day labour at the central market: loading trucks, waiting for calls that did not always come. 

"I could be replaced by anyone in a minute. No contract. No security. I had expenses piling up and no way to plan ahead." 

Today, Mohammad is a transformed young man. He has more tools and hope to build a future. He is financially stable, professionally growing, and for the first time in his life, he can see a path ahead of him. 

When new trainees arrive at the factory, Mohammad is the one who eagerly shows them how things work -because someone did the same for him. 

"I want to support the next generation," he says. "I want to help other young people build skills and find their way the way this programme helped me find mine." 

The Azem On-The-Job Training programme from UNICEF and the Business Development Centre combines skills training with direct on-the-job placements to help young people in Jordan transition into stable, formal employment. It is generously supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the PROSPECTS partnership.