Given the existing problems of unemployment and the significant pressures on future employment what are the means of addressing this? There is not a single answer to this question but rather a complex mix of systemic factors, overlaid by demographics and other trends. Skills too, play an important role in improving the resilience of economies and their potential to help create sustainable jobs. However, investment in skills is a blunt instrument if investment in the supply of skills is not aligned with the current and future demand for skills in the economy. Government can play a role in stimulating and diversifying economies and in investing in education and employment, but the degree to which this happens is mediated by political priorities and competing fiscal pressures such as the need to service public debt, make pension and social transfer payments, spend on security, health care, etc. Asides from government, business and individuals also invest directly in skills which is a trend that is likely to continue. In the absence of investment in skills, there is a risk of establishing a low-skills equilibrium - a vicious circle of low value added; low education attainment and skills; low wages and poor quality jobs, low share of skilled workers needed; and resulting high unemployment and/or underemployment in parts of the economy or the economy as a whole.

A key facilitator of TVET reform in Iraq has been the European Union funded TVET Reform Project implemented over the last 5 years by UNESCO working in partnership with government under the leadership of Prime Minister’s Advisory Committee. The TVET reform project, by design, has focused primarily on upstream policy-orientated work that lays the foundations for how TVET will be delivered in the future. The reform agenda is now fairly well entrenched at the higher levels of government, across the three relevant line ministries.

The Government has published a 10-year National TVET Strategy (2014-2023). Given the capacity and resource constraints of the government of Iraq, the TVET Reform Project stands as the single biggest contribution to realising the ambitions of this strategy. To its credit, the Phase 1 of the TVET reform programme made significant progress in respect to:

• Mapping new coordinated institutional arrangements for TVET
• Developing a national Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework
• Developing and piloting guidelines for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of TVET
• Undertaking comprehensive labour market and skill analysis
• Developing a framework for private sector participation in TVET
• Developing competency-based curriculum for 3 sectors and 4 levels and piloting modules at Level 1
• Improving the quality of careers guidance in TVET
• Developing, at scale, the capacities of existing officials, institutional leaders, teachers and trainers across the TVET system
• Raising public awareness about the important economic role played by TVET sector.

This new project continues from Phase 1 of the EU-UNESCO TVET programme. The overall  objective of this second phase of the EU-UNESCO TVET programme is increased inclusive access to skills development services and assets, contributing to improved employability and socio-economic status.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

Objective 1: Strengthen MoE National and Directorate systems and capacities for quality management, curriculum and labour market alignment for vocational education

Objective 2: Enhance the performance of selected vocational schools to create and operate Centres of Excellence

Objective 3: Develop higher education institutions’ systems and leadership for meeting local skills needs and international recognition of qualifications

EU Contribution

5 M EUR

Start – end

2020 - 2024

Location

Countrywide with respect to system strengthening elements

5 governorates for decentralised capacity development elements –Basra, Baghdad, Dohuk, Karbala and Ninewa

Beneficiaries

Vocation School Pupils

Technical Higher Education students

Vocational School and Technical University managers, teachers, trainers and assessors

Government officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and  MOLSA (both in central government and KRG).

Implementing partner

UNESCO

Funding Instrument

Development and Cooperation Instrument

Useful links:

https://en.unesco.org/fieldoffice/baghdad/tvet