Orange Jordan inaugurated the Orange Digital Center Club (ODCC) at the German Jordanian University (GJU), in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, aiming to develop and improve youth digital skills to enhance their employability. 

The inauguration was attended by the CEO of Orange Jordan, Thierry Marigny, President of the German Jordanian University, Professor Ala'aldeen Al-Halhouli, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Jordan, H.E. Bernhard Kampmann, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Samira Al-Zoubi, and GIZ Jordan Country Director, Ms. Elisabeth Girrbach.

The club is an extension of the Orange Digital Center located in Al-Abdali that seeks to expand Orange’s free digital programs across the Kingdom, such as the Coding School, the FabLab, and the Orange Fab startup accelerator.
    
The Orange Digital Center Club at the German Jordanian University offers students an integrated space with free digital programs where experts provide in-demand skills to enhance educational outcomes, prepare students for the labor market and promote entrepreneurship. 

The President of GJU, Professor Ala'aldeen Al-Halhouli, said that the inauguration of the club falls in line with the university’s strategy for the years 2022 and after, seeking to become a leading international university in applied education and research and to spread a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students, the university landscape, the wider society, and eventually the Kingdom as a whole.
Professor Al-Halhouli also highlighted the university’s efforts in developing students’ and graduates’ skills through practical, applied approaches to enable them to compete in the local, regional, and global labour markets, noting that the employment rate of GJU graduates has reached 90% in the first year after their graduation.
The GJU President praised the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and Orange Jordan in supporting Jordanian youth and helping them turn their innovative ideas into feasible startups that contribute to social progress.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr. Bernhard Kampmann, underlined Germany’s commitment to supporting Jordan’s sustainable development agenda, especially in the field of digital economy and entrepreneurship. “The partnership of Orange, GJU and GIZ is a great example of how business, academia and development cooperation can work together to find solutions to global challenges, such as the need to provide young people with the knowledge, skills and competencies they need in an increasingly digitalized world”, he said.
GIZ Country Director Mrs. Elisabeth Girrbach appreciates the partnership with Orange and German Jordanian University. She emphasized that a young workforce with good digital skills will be a great asset in improving Jordan’s attractiveness as a business location. “This is why this project is very important; it provides an out-of-the-box model in combating unemployment by building synergies where all of the training and supporting interventions are hosted in one single place, from digital skills training for young people and the acceleration of innovative start-ups, to support and investments for project leaders. Today’s inauguration of the Digital Club at GJU is a step forward to achieve our shared vision of greater youth employability, while supporting the country's sustainable growth and digital transformation”, she added.

The CEO of Orange Jordan, Thierry Marigny, expressed his excitement about the inauguration of the Orange Digital Center Club at the German Jordanian University, which represents an integral part of the company’s efforts to enhance digital inclusion and empower more university students across the Kingdom through free digital programs. 

Marigny added that Orange supports youth by developing their skills to increase their employability and ability to launch projects, in order to contribute to sustainable development, as part of the company's corporate social responsibility and role as a responsible digital leader, highlighting the continuation of its digital programs in governorates with GIZ.

The Orange Digital Center at the GJU is the eighth center inaugurated in the Middle East and Africa, as part of a partnership between Orange and GIZ under the project Labour Market Oriented Vocational Education, Higher Education and Training (MOVEHET), which was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project seeks to enhance youth opportunities in the labour market and supporting sustainable growth and digital transformation.

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