UNESCO Strengthens Youth Employability in Nineveh Through Skills Training

UNESCO continues to enhance youth employment opportunities in Nineveh Governorate through its project Enhancing Employability for Youth in Nineveh, Mosul, an initiative focused on building the capacity of local trainers and providing young people with practical, market-relevant skills that support their active participation in society.

The programme aims to equip young people with technical and professional competencies aligned with labour market needs while strengthening local training systems to ensure sustainable impact. By investing in both trainers and trainees, UNESCO is contributing to economic recovery efforts and expanding employment opportunities for youth across the governorate.

As part of the initiative, storage management trainer Ali Sadeq Thanoon received strong appreciation from recent graduates who highlighted the effectiveness of the hands-on training approach. Zahraa, one of the trainees, said: “I would definitely recommend this training to my friends, as our teacher, Mr. Ali, is very practical, easy to follow and always responsive.”

Through UNESCO’s competency-based training methodology, Thanoon further enhanced his teaching methods and now applies practical, learner-centred approaches that support trainees from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. Reflecting on the programme’s outcomes, he said: “Several recent graduates have already secured positions in private companies and NGOs. I am confident in our trainees’ potential for employment. Those with Microsoft Office and cashier system skills are becoming highly competitive in the Mosul job market.”

UNESCO officials emphasised that strengthening local trainers alongside youth skills development represents a critical achievement of the project, enabling young people to gain practical skills that support meaningful participation in society and improve access to sustainable livelihoods.

The initiative is funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), with implementation support from the KOICA Office in Erbil, as part of ongoing international efforts to promote vocational training, youth empowerment and sustainable development in Iraq.

Source: UNESCO Iraq