King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) launches the 12th cycle of the “Darb Project” to bridge the gap between education and professional practice through providing internship opportunities to university students in order to equip them with the necessary skills and expertise; which accordingly increases their chances of employability.

Aiming at introducing students to the work environment, promoting a culture of internship participation, and increasing opportunities of practical trainings offered by companies —especially in governorates in which such opportunities are limited— the project also seeks to foster a culture of volunteerism as well as boost the students’ self-confidence in overcoming difficulties or obstacles which they may encounter in their upcoming professional life.

The project targets Jordanian university undergraduates and fresh graduates who meet the criteria. Registration will open from 27th of February through the following link: http://join.darb.jo.

Participants will undergo a number of preparatory workshops in addition to internship placement within hosting companies.

Amjad Abu Al Roos, a current employee in an insurance company, believes that his participation in Darb’s 11th cycle of last year has granted him preliminary access into the labor market where he was able to get acquainted with the work environment after being provided with two internship opportunities at the Jordan Insurance Company and Cairo Amman Bank.

“The project helped me develop my personal skills and made me realize the importance and value of internship which is significantly different from the theoretical education received on campus” added Abu Al-Roos before urging university students to join the upcoming cycle of the project given the tangible benefits gained in each of its phases.

The "Darb" project, which is implemented in partnership with LOYAC Jordan and was first launched in 2011, has had eleven cycles so far, benefiting 12,208 male and female students, 977 of whom secured regular employment after completing their training.