Iraq News
Youth

Iraq kicks off youth job initiative in liberated areas

By Khalid al-Taie

Iraqi youth attend a vocational training session aimed at helping them start their own businesses. [Photo courtesy of the Directorate of Training and Employment]

Iraqi youth attend a vocational training session aimed at helping them start their own businesses. [Photo courtesy of the Directorate of Training and Employment]

The Iraqi government recently launched an initiative to support youth-led small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

"Pioneers of Iraq", which kicked off September 13th, intends to address the problem of youth unemployment, organisers said.

The initiative is supported by Iraq's Central Bank, the World Bank, the Iraqi Private Banking Syndicate and the Iraqi Media Network, among others.

Central Bank spokesman Aysar Jabbar described Pioneers of Iraq as "a vital project", telling Diyaruna he hoped it would achieve positive results and contribute towards the country's economic and social development.

Iraqis receive computer training to boost their chances of securing employment. [Photo courtesy of the Directorate of Training and Employment]

Iraqis receive computer training to boost their chances of securing employment. [Photo courtesy of the Directorate of Training and Employment]

"Our initiative focuses on finding a platform for young people that serves as an incubator for their ideas and visions and a way to provide financial support so they can build SMEs and overcome challenges," he said.

"This support plan does not exclusively focus on one area," he said, adding that participants have "complete freedom to choose which project they would like to pursue, based on their skillset and whether it would be income-generating".

Specialities include commerce, handicrafts, education and tourism, Jabbar said.

There is no set timeline for the initiative, he said, nor is there a specific number of beneficiaries: "Anyone can apply, but priority goes to those youths from cities that have been liberated from terrorism."

Providing additional support

Young people from areas previously controlled by ISIS "have suffered immensely as a result of displacement, acts of terrorism and war", Jabbar said.

They are therefore in need of additional support to ensure they are able to participate in the economic development of their cities, he added.

The initiative "supports projects that can have actual on-the-ground implementation, along with feasibility studies and careful planning", he said.

"The hope is that these projects will not only contribute towards providing employment opportunities for the business owners, but also for other young people at a later stage," he added.

Youth account for about a third of the Iraqi population, the Ministry of Planning reported in August, with 27.4% of the population classified as young people.

The number of unemployed youth stands at 22.6%, according to the report.

Creating success stories

"The idea behind the Pioneers of Iraq initiative is based on giving young people the right opportunity to achieve their goals and realise their aspirations," said Wadie Nouri al-Hanthal, chairman of the Iraqi Private Banking Syndicate.

"We want to create success stories that young people, their families and we would be proud of," he told Diyaruna.

There is huge potential in these young people, he said, but they often lack the necessary expertise and support.

"We are focusing on conducting trainings, as our contribution is geared towards building capacity for young people to enable them to better plan and manage their own businesses," al-Hanthal said.

The syndicate "has trained a large number of young people across a range of vocational and educational disciplines, including 50 male and female graduates this year as part of a rehabilitation project called Youth Enablement", he said.

Most of the graduates of that programme have found jobs, he added.

"This is what we aim to do with this initiative," a-Hanthal said. "To encourage young people, especially those with college degrees, to not wait around for a public sector job but to build their own skillset and start their own businesses."

"We will open a variety of courses and focus our efforts on young people from liberated cities, so as not to leave the door open for terrorists to take advantage of them and their unemployment," he said.

Maintaining stability

The initiative to support young people is a "noteworthy step", said Muhannad al-Awmari, media officer for the Network of Civil Society Organisations in Ninawa.

"Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing youth today, and this is especially the case for university educated individuals," he told Diyaruna.

Providing training, funding and support for businesses run by youths is "a necessary step" in confronting unemployment and providing sources of income for them, he said.

"In the liberated provinces, we are in dire need of such projects, due to their role in maintaining stability in cities and improving conditions," al-Awmari added.

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24 Comment(s)
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I want a job. I'm Hassan Hussein Younis Hussein. I'm from eastern Mosul, Iraq. I'm 35 years old. I want to work as a security guard.

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These are just lies. If there is an initiative, it’s about the provincial members and officials, especially in Mosul, where there is racism on the part of the centre of city towards the outskirts. The people of Mosul believe they’re God’s chosen people!

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A very beautiful initiative. It must be generalised to all Iraqi provinces. We shouldn't forget the role of southern and central provinces in liberation and defence of Iraq and the areas that fell in the hands of ISIS. May God damn them! Greetings to all! Your brother Abu Iraq, from Najaf.

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1. I agree with you and I wish progress for all provinces;
2. We shouldn’t be all the time reminding people of our generosity in liberation because we’re all Iraqis; I’m a son of the north and I have defended Basra and the south.
3. Do you know that this noble work was exploited by mean-spirited people to take protection money from us and from me personally?
I wish our beloved Iraqis, from Zakho, not as it’s said now from Mosul, to al-Zubair and al-Fao, every possible progress and good governance.

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We the people of Nasriyah need such projects because there are many unemployed people and many families of pure martyrs who were killed in defence of our land and sanctities.

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I want to join. I’m a graduate of the Faculty of Engineering, Electricity Department. I graduated five years ago.

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A beautiful project. May God bless your efforts!

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Are these courses available in the future?

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Method for applying.

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I'd like to volunteer.

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I'd like to volunteer.

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A good and beautiful project.

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I want to join.

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I'm a business administration graduate and I have no job. Ninawa Valley needs to provide job opportunities for the unemployed.

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Khalil Suleiman Hajji. BA degree in history. Lecturer for three years for free. 07723470099

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Tarik Mohammed Ali Jabr. I have a B.Sc. of Physical Education and Sports. 07503863237 and 07703030981. I was born in 1986. I’ve worked at private schools for three years. I can use computers. I’m married and unemployed.

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How can I work?

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Peace be upon you. My name is Muhannad Haitham. I’ve got an accounting diploma in Ninawa. I’m unemployed. I look for a job.

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I want to join.

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I want to volunteer.

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How can I join this organisation?

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Brothers, I want a job in Erbil. I'm a stranger from Erbil.

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We in Salaheddine province want training courses that would enable young men and women who support their children after losing their husbands to deal with their tough circumstances and set up projects through which they can create jobs for themselves and others, and raise the economic development rate. 53998.

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I’m one of Salaheddine graduates who are unemployed. Hope your organisation will appoint us at a position or contract us.

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