UNESCO conducts Competency-Based Training for VTCs and DoLSA staffs in Mosul

"The training course will contribute in developing the skills and abilities of the employees working in VTC in Mosul in terms of teaching and technology, especially in the application of CBT methodology in the Iraqi context”. said Ms. Mithaq Taleb Yousef

UNESCO is delivering six days Competency-Based Training and Assessment to the 25 technical staff (3 women) of the Vocational Training Centre (VTC) of the Directorate of Labour and Social Affairs (DoLSA) in the city of Mosul from 21 – 26 November 2020.

The CBT training will build the technical and professional capacities of the staff of VTCs and DoLSA in Mosul to apply international best practices in their vocational training programs with a focus on developing skills of graduates to benefit from employment opportunities. This is part of UNESCO’s ongoing efforts to support the creation of the "Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in construction skills supporting labor market outcomes" and “Job Creation for Youth in Mosul”, with the financial support of the Government of Japan.

Paolo Fontani, Director of UNESCO Iraq, thanked the Government authorities and the Government of Japan for the partnership and support, highlighting the potential impact of the project in responding to the urgent need of creating job opportunities for youth, and towards the revival of the spirit of Mosul.

Mithaq Taleb Yousef, the Director of Labor and Vocational Training Department of Nineveh marked that “The training course will contribute in developing the skills and abilities of the employees working in VTC in Mosul in terms of teaching and technology, especially in the application of CBT methodology in the Iraqi context”. Ms. Yousef thanked UNESCO for the technical expertise and international best practices for the development, quality assurance, and evaluation of TVET in Iraq, and capacity-strengthening to improve the performance of VTCs. Ms. Yousef expressed confidence that this support will contribute in VTC to become a Centre of Vocational Excellence to meet the skills needs of the labor market in the field of construction, especially in the current stage of the reconstruction of Mosul."

Santosh Khatri, Chief of Education, UNESCO Iraq Office, highlighted the importance of this training in enhancing the technical and professional expertise of trainers in competency-based training approaches, enabling them to be the 'TVET CBT approaches Champions' to deliver competency-based training in the future. Mr. Khatri also mentioned that along with the CBT approaches, UNESCO is also supporting quality assurance and accreditation of the vocational training and strengthening the partnership between the VTC in Mosul and the private sector in the area of construction.

The trainers, Dr. Ayman Al-Jawari and Dr. Nadom Muttalib from the Central Technical University appreciated the training toolkit developed by UNESCO and expressed confidence that the toolkit and the competency-based training of trainers and teachers in TVET institutions in Iraq will have a long-term positive impact in improving the quality of TVET to improve employability skills of graduates.