( CNN ) -- In a tiny car repair shop in the Jordanian capital of Amman , one can encounter the latest efforts to solve the country 's sky high youth unemployment rate . It 's here that 23-year-old Khaleel Anwar can now fix his sights on a career after a year-long apprenticeship program . `` I learned so many things such as how to monitor a car using an electronic device , also how to fill gas the proper way using this device , '' Anwar said . After years of debate on how to lift up the most vulnerable , training programs are targeting the informal economy and small businesses that need qualified workers . This is a regional challenge . Youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa is running above 27 % , the highest in the world . Jordan 's is slightly above that average and the government has allocated ample resources to try and reverse this trend . According to the World Bank , this equates to some 10 % of GDP for the last two decades . But the challenge is to close the gap between what happens here in the classroom and what is needed by industry . This is where Yasser Ali of the International Labour Organization ( ILO ) comes into the picture . For their auto academy pilot program , the ILO brought together trade unions and private sector companies to see what is needed in the labor market . `` Thinking like this can make a step forward in order to address youth unemployment but it needs involvement of all partners in this process , '' Ali said . And the early results are promising . Trainer and mentor , Youssef Rahal , said he 's taught nearly 200 students with a placement rate of 89 % . `` There is a drastic change in the students , '' Rahal said . `` They come to us with no skills ; they are either drop outs or only have high school degrees , they are 17 , 18 , 19 , 20-year-olds . '' Countrywide endeavor . It 's not just in the inner cities that are the focus of the training programs . In the rural Bedouin area of Mafraq two hours drive from Amman , there is ground breaking work taking place inside a local community center . Up to 50 women , many who have not held jobs before , are being trained to work in a textile factory that is being built nearby . `` There is strong demand because it 's a ladies environment and everything is available for us , '' said Tahani Salama , a worker in the factory . `` The most important is transportation that is guaranteed . '' Her colleague Ruwaida Thamri agrees . `` It has helped me to meet new people . I now know how to communicate with my manager and my colleagues . '' According to the local tribal leader , Nimer Al Fawwaz , such progress has only been made possible by having a dialogue with parents to get support for women to enter the workforce -- which represents a cultural breakthrough in itself . `` We want more courses and more attention to it and focus on more production companies within this area , '' Al Fawwaz said . Call it a small success story for a big problem plaguing the region .
Training programs are aiming to bring more young Jordanians into workforce . Youth unemployment in Jordan is amongst highest in the world . The government has been trying to get youth involved with jobs and education for years, but it's still a challenge because of cultural differences between Arab countries and Jordan.