Second Policy Dialogue on Active Labour Market Policies Explores Employers' Perspectives on Youth Employment  Under the framework of the European Union-funded Employment and Livelihood Programme (ELP), Enabel, the Belgian agency for international cooperation, convened the second dialogue in its Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) Policy Dialogue Series, bringing together government representatives, employers, TVET and skills development stakeholders, development partners, and young beneficiaries to examine the challenges employers face when hiring young people.  Held under the theme "When Employers Are Risk-Opposed", the dialogue focused on understanding why employers may hesitate to recruit youth, even when skills development programmes, wage subsidies, and employment incentives are available. Discussions moved beyond the conventional narrative of skills gaps to explore a range of factors influencing hiring decisions, including perceived hiring risks, productivity concerns, onboarding and supervision requirements, staff retention challenges, and other financial and non-financial barriers.  The event opened with remarks from Mr. Duccio Ferraro, Project Manager of the Employment and Livelihood Programme (ELP); Mrs. Carmen Voigt-Graf, Attaché and Programme Manager for Skills Development and TVET at the Delegation of the European Union to Jordan; and Dr. Fadi Al Darabseh, Director of the Employment Directorate at the Ministry of Labour. Speakers highlighted the importance of understanding employers' realities and designing labour market policies that better respond to business needs while supporting meaningful employment opportunities for young people.  A strategic panel discussion, moderated by Saba El Hanbali of Enabel, explored the question: "Why Firms Hesitate to Hire Youth, and What Policy Gets Wrong." Panelists included Dr. Fadi Al Darabseh, Director of the Employment Directorate at the Ministry of Labour, Ms. Duaa Al Khreisha, Head of the Employment Promotion Unit at the Amman Chamber of Industry; Ms. Rawan Bazzari, Strategic Senior HR Consultant; and Sujoud Al-Bakhit, an ELP beneficiary working in the hospitality sector as a barista. The session provided perspectives from employers, human resources professionals, and youth directly navigating the transition into employment.  The dialogue also featured a series of interactive exercises, including the "First 30 Days Challenge" and the "Employer Decision Challenge: Put Policy on Trial," enabling participants to examine recruitment decisions from both employer and youth perspectives. Through collaborative discussions and practical problem-solving activities, participants identified opportunities to reduce the perceived risks associated with youth hiring and strengthen pathways into sustainable employment.  The dialogue concluded with a validation of key findings and agreement on the focus of a forthcoming policy output, ensuring that lessons emerging from the discussions contribute to evidence-based recommendations for improving youth employment outcomes in Jordan. 

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