MFA Press Statement: Singapore-Jordan 3rd Country Training Programme for the AMED Regional Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) MOU

Singapore and Jordan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance their cooperation to jointly provide vocational training in air-conditioning and heating systems maintenance and diagnostics for Asia-Middle East Dialogue (AMED) Member Countries at the AMED Regional Vocational Training Centre (RVTC) in Marka, Jordan. The Memorandum was signed today in Amman, Jordan by Singapore's Non-Resident Ambassador to Jordan Mr K Kesavapany and the Director-General of the Vocational Training Corporation of Jordan, Mr Majed Habashneh.

The AMED RVTC aims to develop a well-trained workforce attuned to the region's industry needs and its rapid economic development. Through the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), an inaugural training course was conducted in October 2007, followed by another three courses in 2008. To date, 37 participants from AMED-member countries have been trained under this scheme. An additional two courses have been scheduled later this year and under the MOU, Singapore is committed to running at least two courses annually at the RVTC.

A commemorative plaque to mark this Singapore-Jordan cooperation was signed by King Abdullah II of Jordan and President S R Nathan of Singapore during President Nathan's state visit to Jordan in November 2006. With the signing of the MOU today, Singapore and Jordan have once again reaffirmed the warm bilateral relations between the two countries and their commitment to regional cooperation and human resource capacity-building through the AMED framework.