Training and Workplace Advancement Solutions for Opportunities in the Labour Force

This project addresses the unemployment crisis among youth and women in Iraq by strengthening the capacity of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. It contributes to economic growth and diversity by better aligning employer labour needs with appropriately skilled output from the TVET system. Project activities include: (1) providing technical assistance for creating and fortifying partnerships between the private sector and institutional partners around on-the-job training and safe internships in workplaces for all trainees; (2) issuing grants to support and incentivize employers to create innovative inclusive and gender-responsive work environments proactively; (3) providing relevant training and technical assistance to training institutes supporting equitable access to entrepreneurship support; (4) developing models linking graduates to business development and financial services; (5) providing technical assistance for blended learning approaches that extends the reach of training opportunities; and (6) promoting women’s participation in the labour force with social marketing campaigns aimed at women to encourage employment or entrepreneurship in growth and non-traditional sectors of the economy.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased gender-responsive and inclusive employment environment enabling male and female youth to make the transition from training to employment (in target communities); and (2) increased and more equitable participation in the workforce by male and female graduates of targeted training institutions.