His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday launched a nationwide project to train some 40,000 young people in a variety of skills demanded in the construction sector, which, experts say, generates some 150,000 jobs annually.

King Abdullah requested that the number of trainees in the project's first phase be increased from 1,500 to 5,000 by the end of this year, due to the high demand to participate in the project. Some 14,500 young people have applied for the programme's first batch, officials in charge of the project said.

The King also ordered the total number of trainees over the programme's four-year span to be increased to 40,000, a 25 per cent increase over the figure in the original plan.

Investments in the construction sector are expected to reach $50 billion over the coming five years.

Beneficiaries from the project receive during training a variety of privileges, including a JD191 monthly salary, health insurance, social security, accommodation, transportation, food and clothing and a certificate from the concerned parties.

The income rises when they start working on construction projects. They keep their status as civilian employees of National for Employment and Training, a Jordan Armed Forces (JAF)-owned company which was created upon the King's directives to train and recruit Jordanian youth in the construction field, an industry that was historically shunned by Jordanians due to low wages and lack of benefits.