HRH Prince Hassan poses for a photo with the winners of the El Hassan Bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence during a ceremony, on Thursday (Petra photo)

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan on Thursday said that stronger cooperation is needed between educational and vocational institutions to meet the market’s demands.

“We also need to work on developing the vocational and technical sector by establishing funds and commissions to develop youth’s skills so that they can initiate innovative and pioneering projects,” Prince Hassan, the chairman of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), said.

The prince also stressed the need to “set our national, local and regional priorities to strengthen the concept of specialised work and to introduce students to what [best] suits their qualifications instead of being ignorant about the needs of the labour market”.

The prince made the remarks during a ceremony honouring the winners of the El Hassan Bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence.

Such funds and commissions, Prince Hassan added, should also focus on education for the individuals, “to ensure that they become more productive and knowledgeable about good citizenship concepts, since the real capital for us is the human capital”.

Prince Hassan also touched on education reform in Jordan, saying that it should include a wide range of social aspects such as development, education, religion and the media.

The ceremony, held at the Royal Cultural Centre, was also attended by HRH Princess Sarvath, HRH Prince Raad Bin Zeid, HRH Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan, and HRH Prince Mired Bin Raad.

Secretary General of the HCST Khalid Shraideh also addressed the gathering and said that the vocational and technical sector in Jordan is one of the most important economic tools to “prepare and rehabilitate youth to meet the needs of the labour market”.

“It is of extreme importance to spread awareness and media use in a positive manner with regards to the culture of vocational and technical education among society,” Shraideh stressed.

At the end of the ceremony, Prince Hassan handed out awards to the first, second and third place winners.

The first place award, worth JD7,000, was granted to the Vocational Training Corporation for two of its projects called “TWEED-Promotion of Training to Improve Efficiency in the Water and Energy Sector Project” and “Integrate and Train Persons with Disabilities Professionally for Employment”.

The second place award for JD5,000 was given to the Mosaic Art & Restoration Institute for a project called “training of Jordanians with special needs and Syrians on mosaic crafts and rehabilitation for work”.

Sahab Secondary Comprehensive School for Girls clinched the JD3,000 award for their “Development of the School agricultural Environment” programme.

The El Hassan Bin Talal Award for Scientific Excellence is granted to national institutions that have contributed — through academic, scientific or technological achievements — to the development of education and training.