Project profile — Bolstering Reconstruction in Iraq through Development, Growth and Employment

• Iraq (100.00%)

• Education policy and administrative management:
Education policy and administrative management (11110) (7.44%)
Education facilities and training (11120) (29.91%)
Teacher training (11130) (7.69%)
• Basic Education: Basic life skills for youth and adults (11230) (54.01%)
• Secondary Education: Vocational training (11330) (0.95%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (principal objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Disability (principal objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)

The project aims to recognize the urgent need for short-term stabilization in Iraq by supporting the transition into new livelihoods for conflict-affected male and female youth and adult women. Thus, the project focuses on improving their technical and vocational trade skills. Project activities include: (1) facilitating models of effective technical and vocational education training (TVET) practice, by supporting up to 16 vocational training centres (VTCs) to deliver market-relevant, competency-based, gender-responsive vocational training to up to 3,000 youth and women; (2) providing flexible technical assistance and capacity development support to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Governorates, VTCs and other key stakeholders to implement stronger vocational training and services for students, such as career and guidance counselling; (3) strengthening linkages with the private sector to ensure that training programs are relevant to labor market needs, and to provide internships and employment opportunities for youth and women graduates.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced provision of gender equitable and market relevant TVET by key government stakeholders in selected locations in Iraq; and (2) improved participation of targeted female and male youth and adult women in local economy in selected locations in Iraq.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2023) include: (1) enabled eight Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) to provide more gender-sensitive and market-relevant training. These VTCs provided adjusted course selections to meet new skill requirements. They also incorporated new and innovative occupational areas through information generated by labour market assessments. Through this, they aim to attract women employees and contribute to diversifying the Iraqi economy away from the petrochemical industry; (2) trained curriculum developers to assess, design, and deliver competency-based training instruction and learning materials. This brought them up to international standards for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with the capacity to provide practical, hands-on instruction to trainees; (3) The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs endorsed adopting competency-based training for the entire VTC system. This encouraged employers to request specialized elements be built into the VTC program to employ graduates and participate in programming and curriculum development; (4) 29% of Bolstering Reconstruction in Iraq through Development, Growth and Employment (BRIDGE) trainees obtained work following graduation. VTC graduates experienced improved confidence in their ability to compete in the labour market. Over 80% of graduates deemed all courses beneficial, while 71% reported improved confidence in seeking employment directly with employers rather than through their traditional informal networks; and (5) increased trainees’ confidence in their newfound occupational skills through gender-sensitive coaching, vocational guidance, and counselling services. 76% of employed graduates found work (or started businesses of their own) in the private sector.

• Proactive disclosure