ERBIL, Iraq (ILO News) – The ILO recently completed an intensive training in Erbil for facilitators of Iraq’s National Job Search Clubs (JSC) programme, aiming to institutionalize this youth employment model across the country. Organized in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq and UNICEF, the week-long training brought together facilitators from multiple provinces to strengthen their capacity to support young job seekers.
Participants engaged in hands-on sessions covering behavioural skills development, facilitation techniques, digital tools, global employment platforms, and the use of artificial intelligence in job-search processes. The training also included modules on the green economy and green jobs, as well as practical exercises in CV writing and interview preparation. Ahmed Saad Aleawi, Director General of the Directorate of Regions and Governorates Affairs, emphasized that the programme equips Iraqi youth with the skills and opportunities needed to enter the labour market with confidence.
The Job Search Clubs initiative, developed by the ILO, provides structured activities to help youth, including internally displaced persons and refugees, find suitable employment quickly. By training facilitators, the programme ensures a sustainable model that empowers young people to navigate the job market effectively. Bashar Samarnah, ILO PROSPECTS Iraq Programme Manager, highlighted that investing in facilitators is key to the long-term success of the initiative and its integration into the ministry’s work plans.
The workshop concluded with a full simulation of establishing and managing a Job Search Club, preparing facilitators to deliver a programme tailored to the needs of the Iraqi labour market. Israa Al-Joburi, UNICEF Youth Programme Manager, noted that equipping young people with the right skills and support enables them to drive economic and social transformation in their communities. The National JSC programme is part of the broader PROSPECTS partnership, supported by the Government of the Netherlands, which focuses on skills education, employment, and infrastructure in contexts of forced displacement to improve opportunities for both host communities and displaced populations.
