As part of its efforts to improve worker financial literacy, which contributes to good mental health, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Global Programme on Financial Education has certified six garment factory employees in Jordan as national trainers.
They have successfully completed a one-week certification workshop, during which the trainers delivered training of end beneficiaries (ToBs) supervised by an ILO master trainer.
To be eligible for the national certification, a trainer is required to participate in a Training of Trainers (ToT), and must have delivered three learning cycles to end beneficiaries in nine months under supervision of master trainers.
“We are strong advocates of financial learning, and truly believe that learning about managing finances is a very important life skill that is not given enough importance or attention,” said Alaa Alnasser, coordinator of the Mental Health Project of the ILO Better Work Jordan Programme, which organised the workshop.
“Learning about money is not just about knowing how to save more or invest; it is also about equipping people with knowledge, so that money does not become a constant stress in people’s lives, and a detriment to their mental health.”
An ILO international trainer evaluated the six trainers.
“This first ever intervention in financial education within Better Work has been a wonderful journey for me as international trainer,” the trainer said. “After a long process of material adaptation, ToT and certification process, we were able to certify six very talented trainers with the ILO Financial Education package, especially adapted to Jordanian and migrant workers.”
These certified trainers will now be able to train workers on how to make better informed financial decisions that can certainly have a big impact on their mental health and overall well-being, the trainer added.
“From how to open a bank account to the importance of an emergency fund to be able to achieve their goals, workers will receive a lot of practical information and skills to better manage their money. I am very much looking forward to seeing the impact of the training in the coming months.”
To maintain and renew their status, certified national trainers are required to regularly report trainings and activities they carry out on the ILO Financial Education Portal. In addition, certified national trainers are required to submit periodic reports on their training activities and their impacts, which are shared with the community of practice of the ILO Global Programme on Financial Education.
To address mental health concerns caused by financial pressures and obligations faced by garment workers, Better Work Jordan seeks to strengthen workers’ financial literacy, enabling them to make informed financial decisions about earning, spending, budgeting, using financial services including loans, savings, insurance, payments and money transfers. This would ultimately contribute to positive and responsible workplaces and increased productivity.
The Mental Health Project aims to improve the mental health of garment workers, particularly women, who account for a majority of the workforce in this sector and face many physical and psychological stressors. It focuses on building garment workers’ resilience against mental health risks, including ensuring that factory-level support exists, and mental health referral systems are accessible by all workers.