Manual on skills testing and certification: Jordan

Skills testing and certification can help youth transition into the labour market by improving the information available to recruiting companies. It also allows for workers in the informal economy to have their skills recognized and facilitates their mobility – their potential shift to formal jobs. In some countries, certificates are linked to wage scales negotiated between social partners. Testing also gives important feedback on training outcomes to training providers and can thereby help improve their programmes. Finally, it provides useful information on the available labour supply for policy-making purposes. Overall, there is a great deal of potential for national testing and certification systems to impact positively on the functioning of labour markets. In Jordan, the Centre of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (CAQA) is entrusted with conducting skills tests and issuing occupational licenses for craftspersons, skilled and limited-skilled workers. The scope of this manual includes the testing and certification procedures directly under CAQA's responsibility (the vocational training track). This manual contains the minimum requirements for skills testing and certification processes in Jordan. The manual consists of four chapters, respectively dealing with: (1) a brief description of assessments and tests in Jordan; (2) the fundamentals of assessment and occupational tests; (3) guidance on how to design skills tests; and (4) guidance on how to conduct skills tests.