Pearson Middle East welcomed more than 80 principals and professionals from educational departments and schools across Jordan to discuss future-oriented education.
The forum was aimed at providing educators with innovative ways to engage ‘Generation Z’ students in learning, and to ensure that they successfully progress to global higher education and employment in the 21st-century.
Principals who attended were provided with the latest updates on Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) and International Advanced level qualifications, including the transferable skills embedded within the qualifications to help students develop the core 21st-century competencies of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.
At the forum, Pearson also introduced BTEC (vocational/life-long learning) qualifications, designed to equip students with the technical skills they need to successfully enter the workforce.
“We want to encourage Pearson Edexcel schools to consider offering BTEC qualifications as a complementary pathway for students looking to improve their technical skills, alongside academic learning, to further increase their employability. Moreover, Pearson Edexcel and BTEC qualifications combined also provide schools with a solution to simultaneously prepare their students for higher education and future employment,” said Özhan Toktas, Managing Director, Pearson Middle East, who also delivered a welcome speech at the Forum.
“Across the world, 290 million young people are out of work. At the same time, almost 40% of employers are unable to fill current vacancies. In Jordan, the unemployment rate is approximately 18.7% and has been steadily increasing over the past three years, highlighting the need for a skilled workforce. Pearson’s Edexcel and BTEC qualifications will help build a future-ready workforce equipping the Jordanian economy with the transferable and technical skills and knowledge needed in the market,” added Toktas.
The Future Skills Principal’s Forum took place at the Grand Hyatt, Jordan and featured a keynote talk from education expert, Dr. Tarek A. Tutunji. Dr. Tutunji focused on exploring different ways to reach, teach and manage the new generation, ‘Generation Z’, with a more digital mind-set, offering them highly valuable skills for the next level of learning and employment.
“Generation Z (Gen Z) students are filling the classrooms in Jordan. By 2020, Gen Z will make up 20% of a multigenerational workforce. To succeed in the age of global education and human-technology interaction, educators must adapt their teaching methodologies to unleash the power of tech-savvy and future entrepreneurs,” commented Tarek Tutunji, Associate Professor at the Mechatronics Engineering Department at Philadelphia University in Jordan.
Amjed Al Fahoum, Associate Professor at the Biomedical Systems and Informatics Engineering department in Al Hussein Technical University also spoke at the forum and highlighted the need for teaching the knowledge and skills, through a combination of academic and vocational qualifications at school, that will make students successful at degree-level of study and in future jobs.
With a mission to help people make progress in their lives through learning, Pearson is a high-quality provider of academic and vocational qualifications amongst other offerings, which help equip students in Jordan with the knowledge and skills they need to excel in higher-education and employment. It’s crucial for young learners to be prepared for jobs that don’t exist yet, by continuing to develop their knowledge, technical capabilities and 21st century skills to thrive in the future. To meet these essential needs, Pearson provides a complete eco-system for schools, which includes Pearson Edexcel and Pearson BTEC qualifications and supporting resources along with the professional training.