Increasing Youth Employment through Vocational Training in Iraqi Kurdistan 

High youth unemployment and limited access to training in the Kurdistan region of Iraq have challenged the region’s social and economic stability. Tara Mohammed Abdalla, Director of the Labor and Vocational Training Directorate in Halabja, is creating new opportunities through skills development, vocational training, and small-scale environmental initiatives. Through her Back Home Action Plan within the framework of the Shiraka Training on Social Affairs and Employment in 2024, Tara created an ambitious plan to overcome the barriers that youth face in her community.  

“We put the youth at the centre, listening to them, involving them, and letting them share this solution with us.”

Young women listening to a lecture within their vocational training. Photo credit: Tara Abdalla

A development plan for Halabja’s youth

The main objectives of Tara’s action plan were increasing public awareness, education, and career development opportunities for marginalised youth in Halabja. Through the project, Tara organised workshops on youth inclusion. She brought together NGOs, local authorities, and community leaders to identify the main obstacles preventing young people from participating fully in social and economic life.

Based on these consultations and workshops, Tara designed and launched career counselling and vocational training programmes to better match participants’ skills to the demands of local markets. She reached over 400 young people, especially youth from vulnerable groups. Partnerships with businesses and training centres made it possible to have more internships and job placements. By collaborating with businesses such as a local bakery, 150 jobs were created for the region. Tara also introduced a monitoring framework to measure training outcomes and employment numbers, and to collect feedback from participants

Another essential part of the action plan focuses on crime reduction and minimising the social exclusion of marginalised youth. She collaborated with the Ministry of Education, local enterprises, and NGOs, to establish community support networks, connecting youth with mentors and social workers. Altogether, she emphasises the role of the collaboration in creating an equally strong and empowered community.

Overcoming challenges through collaboration

Nonetheless, the implementation of such an ambitious plan is not without challenges:

• Limited funding and resources can delay the implementation of an activity or lead to its cancellation it altogether
• Lack of private-sector participation reduces innovation, investment opportunities, and long-term economic benefits
• Poor infrastructure in rural areas make it difficult to ensure equal access to resources and presents a difficulty when delivering a project
• Mismatch between local workers’ skills and market needs limit employment possibilities and productivity

However, Tara emphasises that collaboration between the government, NGOs, businesses, and communities is key to overcome these obstacles and creating an equally strong and empowered community.

“The Back Home Action Plan actually worked because of how we approached it: first, we brought together the government, the NGOs, and the private sector, and we tried to make all of them part of the solution”.

From vision to future action and impact

Tara’s efforts have already begun to yield visible results. More young people in Halabja are accessing education, developing vocational skills, and entering the workforce. The initiative has also inspired greater civic participation and helped reduce youth vulnerability to crime and social exclusion.

In addition, Tara’s experience in the Netherlands during the Shiraka programme inspired her to introduce environmentally responsible practices, including plastic ban, making it the first government building in Halabja to implement such a measure. By a continued collaboration with local communities, authorities, and businesses, Tara ensures that the project remains responsive to the real needs of youth, while promoting sustainability through the creation of green jobs and long-term skills development.

Tara’s journey reflects the power of local leadership and inclusive governance in transforming communities. The lessons from The Hague Academy continue to inform her work, inspiring new partnerships and approaches that place youth at the centre of development.

“It was a small step, but an important one, to show that change can start from both our offices and communities alike”

Tara hands a participant of the vocational training a certificate of completion.