"Celebrate the crowning of the youth’s continuous efforts to raise skills and knowledge."

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in a collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) has announced the successful conclusion of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs’ trainers' certification on the "Start and Improve Your Business" (SIYB) program, which took place in Baghdad.

Baghdad, 8 August 2024, The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), organized a graduation ceremony for the newly certified trainers, attended by His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Jassim Al-Asadi, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Mrs. Shahba’a Ahmed, Advisor to the Prime Minister, and a group of representatives from various ministries, banks, and ILO partners in Iraq, along with the certified trainers from different Iraqi provinces.

The ceremony was opened with a speech by His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Jassim Al-Asadi, who stated, "Today we celebrate the culmination of their continuous efforts in enhancing skills and knowledge, contributing to building a better future for the coming generations." The Minister emphasized the importance of youth, who represent the majority in Iraqi society, and their role in building the nation's economy. He highlighted the significance of investing in their ideas and energy for a better future, adding, "Your efforts in training and the efforts of the trainers are the foundation we need to launch thousands of our youth into promising projects and towards an advanced economy."

Dr. Maha Kattaa, the ILO Country Coordinator, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of the program, which she noted as one of the largest global programs in the field of entrepreneurship. "The 'Start and Improve Your Business' program is one of the largest global initiatives in the field of entrepreneurship and is an essential part of our strategic efforts to support the private sector in Iraq. The success of the certified trainers reflects the strength of capacity building in transforming ideas into sustainable projects, contributing to economic growth and creating new job opportunities," she added.

The certification program involved the accreditation of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs trainers across 10 training centers and business incubators  in 8 Iraqi provinces. These certified trainers have worked to develop their skills in training, planning, and execution, aiming to enhance the efficiency of training centers that help transform ideas into successful and sustainable projects.

The ceremony also featured a detailed presentation on the program's scope and history. The "Start and Improve Your Business" program, launched by the ILO in cooperation with 4,900 partners worldwide, is present in over 100 countries and has been translated into more than 40 languages and dialects to cater to targeted regions. The event also highlighted success stories from program beneficiaries, with 461 individuals benefiting from this cycle, 92% of whom developed business plans and ideas during and after the training. Zahra, one of the beneficiaries of the program, stated, "My sales increased by 60% just two months after the program began, as it helped me understand the importance of promotion techniques in improving my sales and developing my communication skills with customers."

After the ceremony, certificates were distributed to the trainers by His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Jassim Al-Asadi and Dr. Maha Kattaa, to those who completed all the training hours and adhered to all the program's guidelines. A total of 27 participants attended the training, 19 of them completed all training stages. They obtained 130 new project ideas, 79 implementation plans and 152 project improvement plans, to help pioneering project owners improve and develop their projects. 

This intervention is funded by the Netherland as part of PROSPECTS program which is a global partnership brings together the ILO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the World Bank (WB).