ILO to support Youth Start-Ups in Iraq

A national program was launched by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Higher Council for Youth of Iraq to provide Iraqi youth with green economy skills, career guidance, and ethical work practices.

The ILO’s “Start and Improve Your Business” (SIYB) program is part of the program to help young people start and grow sustainable businesses.

Regular reports on trainer performance and content updates to meet market demands and sustainable development goals will be provided to assess impact.

Complete statement from ILO:

The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Higher Council for Youth have launched a comprehensive national program in a pioneering partnership with the goal of empowering Iraqi youth and improving their skills in green economy, decent work, and career guidance. This project aims to train local trainers who will be able to spread these ideas and educate Iraqi youth about them.

Mr. Ali Hilal Khalaf, Executive Director of the Higher Council for Youth, welcomed the partnership at the opening and emphasized its potential to empower Iraqi youth as sustainable development leaders of the future. The ILO Country Coordinator for Iraq, Dr. Maha Kattaa, emphasized the significance of this partnership in establishing a national network of trainers to support Iraqi youth’s aspirations for new career fields that contribute to sustainability, address unemployment, and promote inclusivity in the labor market.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Mr. Qasim Al-Zalmi, emphasized the necessity of adapting training programs to meet the particular requirements of Iraqi society and the local labor market to ensure that knowledge reaches all provinces and promotes youth economic integration. He emphasized that this partnership is a good example of productive collaboration that produces long-term results and educates a generation ready to face future challenges.

The program’s primary goal is to train cadres from the Higher Council for Youth to become national trainers who can lead workshops for Iraqi youth on career choice, job search techniques, and green economy employment opportunities. In addition, the program provides trainers with instruction in labor law, social security, and decent work. The goal of the program is to raise youth awareness of their labor rights and to create a secure setting that upholds decent work standards. In addition, the partnership involves instructing trainers on the SIYB (Start and Improve Your Business) program, one of the ILO’s largest global entrepreneurship training initiatives. Youth will be given the tools they need to start and grow environmentally friendly and long-lasting businesses through this program.

In order to guarantee trainers’ readiness and certification as ILO-accredited trainers, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Higher Council for Youth will regularly monitor and evaluate trainer performance. This will be accomplished by publishing regular reports that show how the programs have helped Iraqi youth grow and develop. In order to achieve sustainable development objectives, training content will also be expanded and updated in a flexible manner to meet changing market requirements.

The Higher Council for Youth and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have formed a partnership that is a strategic step toward assisting Iraqi youth in achieving stable and long-term career paths by focusing on environmentally friendly job opportunities that support economic and social growth while also protecting the environment.