Green Imprint Organization, in partnership with vocational training centers, technical institutes, private institutes, factories, workshops, and the private sector, is implementing the “Tataweer Initiative” for the development of vocational and technical education and training in Iraq. This initiative aims to support the building of an open, stable, and sustainable society, grounded in a diverse and growing market economy that generates employment opportunities, reduces poverty, and promotes equitable economic and social development.
The “Tataweer Initiative” is particularly focused on helping individuals acquire the knowledge and skills required by the labor market. While the initiative emphasizes meeting the needs of learners, its labor market orientation also ensures that it addresses the needs of employers, helping to build a current and future workforce that is skilled, productive, and work-ready.
The initiative aims to highlight the importance of a strong vocational and technical education and training (TVET) system in Iraq to equip all youth and adults with the skills needed for employment, entrepreneurship, life skills, green skills, and lifelong learning.
The “Tatawor” (Development) initiative focuses particularly on ensuring that its graduates gain access to labor markets and secure decent and sustainable employment wherever desired. The core emphasis lies in making technical and vocational education and training (TVET) demand-driven—responsive to labor market needs for workers with specific knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as essential workplace attributes and behaviors.
This requires regularly considering and incorporating the input and support of employers when defining sector strategies, designing curricula, and identifying the relevant courses, sectors, and levels. To ensure that TVET is more demand-driven, accurate and up-to-date labor market information is essential to help guide and inform the provision of education and training, and to determine what works and what does not.
The Tatawor initiative contributes to making Iraq’s TVET system more demand-driven in four main areas:
As part of the Tatweer Initiative’s efforts to enhance demand-driven technical and vocational education and training (TVET), the initiative is conducting a comprehensive study of labor market needs to enable planners and educators to align the provision of TVET with these demands.
TVET is widely recognized as a key driver for achieving a range of Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty alleviation through empowering individuals to work and create jobs for others; increasing productivity and economic growth; promoting social justice, stability, and peace; and raising awareness of environmental issues while encouraging green practices. TVET plays a pivotal role in achieving inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economic growth, youth employment, and enhanced social well-being.
The Tatweer Initiative has the potential to influence long-term labor practices by focusing on occupational and professional standards, developing the skills and knowledge required for sustainable work practices, and introducing new technologies.
Relevance and quality are the two key words used to describe a successful TVET system. Graduates of the Tatweer Initiative must hold relevant qualifications—that is, the appropriate knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet labor market needs. The provision of TVET should be of high quality. Ideally, graduates should be qualified for the required jobs without the need for additional costly and time-consuming in-house training after recruitment in any organization.
The “Tatawwar” Initiative supports the development of links between employers, system providers, and job seekers through public-private partnerships in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
It is not uncommon for partners within this system to have differing perspectives. Employers tend to set high expectations for highly skilled, work-ready individuals who possess the competencies and capabilities that enable smooth integration into workplace roles. Similarly, the government and initiative providers expect full support from employers, based on the premise that they ultimately benefit from the skills and qualifications delivered through the system.
Employer support may include financial contributions to training, provision of job opportunities, input into policies and strategies, assistance in developing competency-based curricula, contributions to professional development, and offering trainees access to the latest industrial equipment and technologies.
In Iraq, public-private partnerships are beginning to evolve, and the dialogue between employers and service providers is becoming increasingly positive. There are numerous examples of close collaboration, which must be recognized, celebrated, and scaled up. To that end, the Tatawwar Initiative will host the Entrepreneur Awards—an awards program that honors TVET partnerships and highlights exemplary models of close collaboration between employers and the TVET system.
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