ILO launches career guidance and counselling campaign for 750 university students and job seekers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

© ILO

© ILO

ERBIL (ILO News) — The International Labour Organization, in cooperation with departments of labour and social affairs (DOLSA) under the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA), career development centres (CDCs), the Kurdistan Workers Unions Federation and partner universities, has launched a career guidance and counselling campaign to support hundreds of university students and jobseekers in their transition to decent employment in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The campaign is targeting some 750 final-year university students and job seekers across three universities through November: Salahaddin University–Erbil, Erbil Polytechnic University and Duhok Polytechnic University, with about 250 participants expected at each institution. Through a series of half-day events on university campuses, participants are receiving practical career guidance and counselling tailored to labour market needs.

“Career guidance is an essential bridge between young people and the changing world of work,” said Bashar Elsemarneh, ILO PROSPECTS Project Manager. “Through our collaboration with the CDCs, MOLSA, and trade unions we aim to strengthen the capacity of career guidance services and equip students and graduates with the knowledge, skills and support they need to make informed career decisions and successfully transition into decent employment."

A key component of the campaign is the facilitation of the formal registration of job seekers through DOLSA’s digital employment platforms, helping participants connect with available employment services and opportunities. The campaign is also raising awareness about fundamental labour rights and decent work principles among youth through the ILO’s “Work Wise Youth: A guide to youth rights at work.”

© ILO

© ILO

“Through our continued cooperation with MOLSA and the ILO, we are raising awareness among graduating students about their rights and responsibilities as workers and jobseekers in the private sector,” said Nazmi Musa Othman, KRI Representative of the Directorate General of Labour and Social Affairs. “These activities also introduce young people to the Ministry’s Jobseekers’ Platform, where they can access information on vocational training, employment and training opportunities, and workers’ rights under labour and social security legislation, helping them make informed choices as they transition into the labour market.”

Young people transitioning from education to employment continue to face challenges in accessing decent work opportunities in the region, including limited exposure to labour market requirements, insufficient access to career guidance and counselling, and limited awareness of workers’ rights and available employment services.

In response to these challenges, the ILO, under the PROSPECTS Partnership, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has strengthened cooperation with CDCs, MOLSA and universities across the Kurdistan Region to improve youth employability and facilitate more effective school-to-work transitions.

© ILO

© ILO

“Building on this partnership, Salahaddin University-Erbil is keen to explore future projects and cooperation that can create meaningful opportunities and better prospects for our students and graduates,” said Hussein Ahmed Mustafa, Director of the Career Development Centre at the university.

The initiative builds on capacities strengthened through previous ILO training provided to CDCs, MOLSA staff, trade unions and employer representatives, while further boosting collaboration among these actors to deliver coordinated and sustainable career guidance and employment services and support young people in their transition to the labour market.