Programme description

Title: Training programme in Egypt for Iraqi participants
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Egypt
Lead executing agency: Ministry for Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Baghdad, Iraq
Overall term: 2008 to 2011

Context

The various wars in which Iraq has been involved and the international sanctions imposed have taken their toll on vocational training in the country. The training places available are not sufficient and also do not meet current requirements. Furthermore, skilled workers and executives within the vocational training system are not adequately qualified. This has an especially negative effect on both the urgently-needed development of infrastructure in the country as well as its social and economic transition process. Sustainable development of the Iraqi economy and society can only be successfully fostered with the presence of qualified staff at all levels and in all fields.

Objective

The employability of Iraqi skilled workers and executives corresponds to changing labour market conditions. Development of the market economy in Iraq progresses.

Approach

The programme is contributing to the development of the market economy in Iraq. The employability of Iraqi skilled workers and executives must improve to meet changing labour market conditions. A precondition for this is the training of technical and management staff from the Iraqi vocational training system. Target groups are above all skilled workers and executives from the state vocational and technical training system and representatives from the Iraqi economy. The planning and implementation of the programme is undertaken under the umbrella of trilateral cooperation between Iraq, Egypt and Germany. Two Iraqi ministries are involved and in Egypt public and private training providers offer their services. The German contribution consists of  advisory and coordination support from GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Over a three year period, more than 1,500 teachers, trainers, technicians, engineers and managers from the vocational training system are to be qualified. The training of Iraqi participants is taking place in Egypt. It is structured in such a way as to allow the majority of participants to act as multipliers in their own country, passing on the knowledge gained. In this way, Iraqi participants are capacitated to train staff in the Iraqi vocational training system. In the process, it is imperative that deficits in management and labour market orientated vocational training are gradually redressed.

Quality assurance takes place through a sophisticated, continuous monitoring system that covers both the measures in Egypt and the activities of the multipliers in Iraq. All involved have the opportunity to swiftly remedy potential shortcomings and promote further developments to the programme in a targeted manner. 

Results achieved so far

So far more than 750 participants have taken part in 70 measures in Egypt and improved their professional prospects considerably. Over 60 per cent either pursued a corresponding career path or were promoted to a more senior position after the training.