Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way economies work, how businesses hire, and how individuals build their careers. For Jordan, this transformation presents a challenge, but also an opportunity: how can we ensure that the country’s greatest asset “its people” is prepared to compete in an economy where skills can matter as much as degrees?
Jordan has already recognized the importance of this question. The Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan 2023–2027 explicitly identifies building Jordanian capabilities, skills and expertise in artificial intelligence as one of its main objectives. The strategy includes 68 projects and seeks to position Jordan as a regional leader in AI while using technology to support economic development and priority sectors.
But having an AI strategy is only one part of the equation. The next question is much more practical: How do we identify, verify and connect the people who have the skills needed to make that strategy work?
This is where Jordan could introduce a new national initiative: a Jordan National AI Talent Passport.
The proposed passport would not be another academic certificate, nor would it replace university degrees or professional qualifications. Instead, it would be a trusted digital record of a person’s verified skills, practical projects, training, micro-credentials, professional experience and demonstrated ability to use AI and digital technologies.
Imagine a Jordanian university graduate applying for a job in Amman, Aqaba or a global company. Instead of presenting an academic degree as the main evidence of capability, the graduate could provide a digital talent passport showing what they can actually do: data analysis, AI-assisted research, programming, digital marketing, cybersecurity, prompt engineering, AI ethics, automation or other relevant competencies. Employers could see verified evidence of skills rather than relying solely on university transcripts or conventional CVs.
This idea responds directly to a challenge that Jordan and many other countries are facing. The International Labor Organization has identified skills mismatch and weak school-to-work transitions among the structural challenges affecting young people in Jordan. Its recent work on youth not in employment, education or training also emphasizes the need to connect universities, training institutions and employers and to design programs around actual labor-market needs.
A National AI Talent Passport could become that missing bridge.
The concept also aligns with an international shift towards “skills-first” labor markets. The OECD’s recent work argues that labor markets are increasingly moving beyond traditional credentials towards a stronger focus on demonstrable skills. It specifically identifies skills passports, micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning as mechanisms that can help connect people’s capabilities with employment opportunities.
Jordan does not have to start from zero. Significant investments are already being made in digital skills. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship’s Youth, Technology and Jobs Project, for example, aims to train young Jordanians in digital skills, expand digital education and create income opportunities. More recently, the Ministry and the Ministry of Youth have been using Future Stations and youth centers across the Kingdom to expand digital and AI literacy.
The opportunity now is to connect these efforts through a common national language of skills.
The passport could be built around a simple principle: learn it, demonstrate it, verify it, and make it visible. A student could earn a credential after completing an AI course, but an even stronger credential could be earned by successfully applying that knowledge to a real-world problem. Universities, training providers, technology companies and employers could contribute to the ecosystem, while an appropriate national authority could establish standards for verification and interoperability.
Such a system could also help Jordan discover where its AI talent actually exists. Instead of asking only how many people have studied computer science, Jordan could begin asking more meaningful questions: How many people can build an AI application? How many can analyze data? How many can use AI responsibly in healthcare, tourism, education, finance or government? Where are these skills located? Which skills are growing, and which are becoming scarce?
This would turn the talent passport into more than a digital CV. It could become a national talent intelligence layer supporting education, employment policy, investment and workforce planning.
The benefits could extend beyond young graduates. A mid-career employee could use the passport to document newly acquired AI skills. A woman returning to the labor market could demonstrate capabilities gained through flexible or online learning. A freelancer could present verified evidence of international-standard competencies. A Jordanian professional working abroad could maintain a recognized digital profile that connects their expertise with opportunities in Jordan.
Most importantly, the passport should not become another bureaucratic document. It should be portable, digital, continuously updated and useful to both the individual and the employer. Its value would depend on trust: employers must know that a verified skill represents genuine capability, while citizens must retain control over what they share and with whom, within Jordan’s data-protection framework.
Jordan is already investing in digital transformation, AI readiness and human capital. The next step is to make the country’s talent more visible, measurable and connected to opportunity. The World Bank’s global work on AI similarly emphasizes that competency and skills are among the essential foundations required for countries to adopt, adapt and innovate with AI.
The real competition in the AI era will not simply be between countries with the most advanced technologies. It will increasingly be between countries that can identify talent, develop skills, connect people to opportunity and continuously adapt their workforce.
Jordan has the strategy. It has the young talent. It has universities, training institutions, technology companies and an expanding digital ecosystem.
What it needs now is a way to bring these assets together.
A National AI Talent Passport could be that bridge and it could help Jordan move from preparing people for the jobs of today to identifying and developing the talent that will build the economy of tomorrow.
The author is a specialist in educational technology
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way economies work, how businesses hire, and how individuals build their careers. For Jordan, this transformation presents a challenge, but also an opportunity: how can we ensure that the country’s greatest asset “its people” is prepared to compete in an economy where skills can matter as much as degrees?
Jordan has already recognized the importance of this question. The Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan 2023–2027 explicitly identifies building Jordanian capabilities, skills and expertise in artificial intelligence as one of its main objectives. The strategy includes 68 projects and seeks to position Jordan as a regional leader in AI while using technology to support economic development and priority sectors.
But having an AI strategy is only one part of the equation. The next question is much more practical: How do we identify, verify and connect the people who have the skills needed to make that strategy work?
This is where Jordan could introduce a new national initiative: a Jordan National AI Talent Passport.
The proposed passport would not be another academic certificate, nor would it replace university degrees or professional qualifications. Instead, it would be a trusted digital record of a person’s verified skills, practical projects, training, micro-credentials, professional experience and demonstrated ability to use AI and digital technologies.
Imagine a Jordanian university graduate applying for a job in Amman, Aqaba or a global company. Instead of presenting an academic degree as the main evidence of capability, the graduate could provide a digital talent passport showing what they can actually do: data analysis, AI-assisted research, programming, digital marketing, cybersecurity, prompt engineering, AI ethics, automation or other relevant competencies. Employers could see verified evidence of skills rather than relying solely on university transcripts or conventional CVs.
This idea responds directly to a challenge that Jordan and many other countries are facing. The International Labor Organization has identified skills mismatch and weak school-to-work transitions among the structural challenges affecting young people in Jordan. Its recent work on youth not in employment, education or training also emphasizes the need to connect universities, training institutions and employers and to design programs around actual labor-market needs.
A National AI Talent Passport could become that missing bridge.
The concept also aligns with an international shift towards “skills-first” labor markets. The OECD’s recent work argues that labor markets are increasingly moving beyond traditional credentials towards a stronger focus on demonstrable skills. It specifically identifies skills passports, micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning as mechanisms that can help connect people’s capabilities with employment opportunities.
Jordan does not have to start from zero. Significant investments are already being made in digital skills. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship’s Youth, Technology and Jobs Project, for example, aims to train young Jordanians in digital skills, expand digital education and create income opportunities. More recently, the Ministry and the Ministry of Youth have been using Future Stations and youth centers across the Kingdom to expand digital and AI literacy.
The opportunity now is to connect these efforts through a common national language of skills.
The passport could be built around a simple principle: learn it, demonstrate it, verify it, and make it visible. A student could earn a credential after completing an AI course, but an even stronger credential could be earned by successfully applying that knowledge to a real-world problem. Universities, training providers, technology companies and employers could contribute to the ecosystem, while an appropriate national authority could establish standards for verification and interoperability.
Such a system could also help Jordan discover where its AI talent actually exists. Instead of asking only how many people have studied computer science, Jordan could begin asking more meaningful questions: How many people can build an AI application? How many can analyze data? How many can use AI responsibly in healthcare, tourism, education, finance or government? Where are these skills located? Which skills are growing, and which are becoming scarce?
This would turn the talent passport into more than a digital CV. It could become a national talent intelligence layer supporting education, employment policy, investment and workforce planning.
The benefits could extend beyond young graduates. A mid-career employee could use the passport to document newly acquired AI skills. A woman returning to the labor market could demonstrate capabilities gained through flexible or online learning. A freelancer could present verified evidence of international-standard competencies. A Jordanian professional working abroad could maintain a recognized digital profile that connects their expertise with opportunities in Jordan.
Most importantly, the passport should not become another bureaucratic document. It should be portable, digital, continuously updated and useful to both the individual and the employer. Its value would depend on trust: employers must know that a verified skill represents genuine capability, while citizens must retain control over what they share and with whom, within Jordan’s data-protection framework.
Jordan is already investing in digital transformation, AI readiness and human capital. The next step is to make the country’s talent more visible, measurable and connected to opportunity. The World Bank’s global work on AI similarly emphasizes that competency and skills are among the essential foundations required for countries to adopt, adapt and innovate with AI.
The real competition in the AI era will not simply be between countries with the most advanced technologies. It will increasingly be between countries that can identify talent, develop skills, connect people to opportunity and continuously adapt their workforce.
Jordan has the strategy. It has the young talent. It has universities, training institutions, technology companies and an expanding digital ecosystem.
What it needs now is a way to bring these assets together.
A National AI Talent Passport could be that bridge and it could help Jordan move from preparing people for the jobs of today to identifying and developing the talent that will build the economy of tomorrow.
The author is a specialist in educational technology
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way economies work, how businesses hire, and how individuals build their careers. For Jordan, this transformation presents a challenge, but also an opportunity: how can we ensure that the country’s greatest asset “its people” is prepared to compete in an economy where skills can matter as much as degrees?
Jordan has already recognized the importance of this question. The Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan 2023–2027 explicitly identifies building Jordanian capabilities, skills and expertise in artificial intelligence as one of its main objectives. The strategy includes 68 projects and seeks to position Jordan as a regional leader in AI while using technology to support economic development and priority sectors.
But having an AI strategy is only one part of the equation. The next question is much more practical: How do we identify, verify and connect the people who have the skills needed to make that strategy work?
This is where Jordan could introduce a new national initiative: a Jordan National AI Talent Passport.
The proposed passport would not be another academic certificate, nor would it replace university degrees or professional qualifications. Instead, it would be a trusted digital record of a person’s verified skills, practical projects, training, micro-credentials, professional experience and demonstrated ability to use AI and digital technologies.
Imagine a Jordanian university graduate applying for a job in Amman, Aqaba or a global company. Instead of presenting an academic degree as the main evidence of capability, the graduate could provide a digital talent passport showing what they can actually do: data analysis, AI-assisted research, programming, digital marketing, cybersecurity, prompt engineering, AI ethics, automation or other relevant competencies. Employers could see verified evidence of skills rather than relying solely on university transcripts or conventional CVs.
This idea responds directly to a challenge that Jordan and many other countries are facing. The International Labor Organization has identified skills mismatch and weak school-to-work transitions among the structural challenges affecting young people in Jordan. Its recent work on youth not in employment, education or training also emphasizes the need to connect universities, training institutions and employers and to design programs around actual labor-market needs.
A National AI Talent Passport could become that missing bridge.
The concept also aligns with an international shift towards “skills-first” labor markets. The OECD’s recent work argues that labor markets are increasingly moving beyond traditional credentials towards a stronger focus on demonstrable skills. It specifically identifies skills passports, micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning as mechanisms that can help connect people’s capabilities with employment opportunities.
Jordan does not have to start from zero. Significant investments are already being made in digital skills. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship’s Youth, Technology and Jobs Project, for example, aims to train young Jordanians in digital skills, expand digital education and create income opportunities. More recently, the Ministry and the Ministry of Youth have been using Future Stations and youth centers across the Kingdom to expand digital and AI literacy.
The opportunity now is to connect these efforts through a common national language of skills.
The passport could be built around a simple principle: learn it, demonstrate it, verify it, and make it visible. A student could earn a credential after completing an AI course, but an even stronger credential could be earned by successfully applying that knowledge to a real-world problem. Universities, training providers, technology companies and employers could contribute to the ecosystem, while an appropriate national authority could establish standards for verification and interoperability.
Such a system could also help Jordan discover where its AI talent actually exists. Instead of asking only how many people have studied computer science, Jordan could begin asking more meaningful questions: How many people can build an AI application? How many can analyze data? How many can use AI responsibly in healthcare, tourism, education, finance or government? Where are these skills located? Which skills are growing, and which are becoming scarce?
This would turn the talent passport into more than a digital CV. It could become a national talent intelligence layer supporting education, employment policy, investment and workforce planning.
The benefits could extend beyond young graduates. A mid-career employee could use the passport to document newly acquired AI skills. A woman returning to the labor market could demonstrate capabilities gained through flexible or online learning. A freelancer could present verified evidence of international-standard competencies. A Jordanian professional working abroad could maintain a recognized digital profile that connects their expertise with opportunities in Jordan.
Most importantly, the passport should not become another bureaucratic document. It should be portable, digital, continuously updated and useful to both the individual and the employer. Its value would depend on trust: employers must know that a verified skill represents genuine capability, while citizens must retain control over what they share and with whom, within Jordan’s data-protection framework.
Jordan is already investing in digital transformation, AI readiness and human capital. The next step is to make the country’s talent more visible, measurable and connected to opportunity. The World Bank’s global work on AI similarly emphasizes that competency and skills are among the essential foundations required for countries to adopt, adapt and innovate with AI.
The real competition in the AI era will not simply be between countries with the most advanced technologies. It will increasingly be between countries that can identify talent, develop skills, connect people to opportunity and continuously adapt their workforce.
Jordan has the strategy. It has the young talent. It has universities, training institutions, technology companies and an expanding digital ecosystem.
What it needs now is a way to bring these assets together.
A National AI Talent Passport could be that bridge and it could help Jordan move from preparing people for the jobs of today to identifying and developing the talent that will build the economy of tomorrow.
The author is a specialist in educational technology
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