Creating Job Opportunities For Young Adults In Kurdistan / Iraq

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Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim and the European Regional Development and Protection Programme for the Middle East (RDPP), within the project “Creating Job Opportunities for Young Adults in Kurdistan”, organized the Graduation Ceremony of trainees and apprentices in the city of Zakho, Dohuk Governorate in Iraq, on Wednesday 27th of June.

Local authorities, UN agencies, International NGOs and representatives of the private sector attended the event. The Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affair and the Director of the Vocational Training Center of Zakho joined Action Against Hunger in the official opening of the event, highlighting the positive outcomes of the project.

The event represented the conclusion of the vocational training process for 155 youths in Zakho District. The 17-month project implemented by Action Against Hunger with the support of the RDPP contributed to the generation of job opportunities for IDPs, Syrian refugees and youths from Zakho. The project focused on three-core interventions: access to vocational trainings, business start-upsupport and match between job offer and demand, targeting both self and wage employment.

Vocational trainings have been chosen in coordination with the Zakho Vocational Training Center and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, strengthening technical skills and job profiles in line with personal interests and local demand. Additionally, within the project, 54 youths started a 6 monthsApprenticeship Programme with local companies and 102 youths received financial and technical support to start-up or scale-up their businesses.