SAT, IRAQ

With support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), this project aims to establish an operations and industrial maintenance training academy in partnership with Scania CV AB. Located in Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the academy targets unemployed Iraqis under the age of 30, offering them a chance to develop relevant skills and to find professional employment in the sectors of logistics, manufacturing, and industrial maintenance of heavy machinery (trucks, engines, agricultural equipment, etc.).

Simultaneously, the training academy aims to bolster Iraq’s wider economic development, by addressing the serious shortage of skilled labor required by modern enterprises operating and expanding in the country. The academy uses advanced and specialized training equipment and is the only training facility of its kind in Iraq. Courses are offered not only in maintaining and operating heavy machinery, but also in English language and computer literacy. Although typically a male domain, the academy aims to achieve a 30% female participation. Women are actively encouraged to attend the technical and managerial trainings, so that they are also well prepared for opportunities in the workplace. After graduation the academy will actively connect students with local companies in the region.

The project has a clear focus on results – specifically employment generation – and the implementation arrangements are designed to ensure that institutional capacity is strengthened, modern training courses are delivered, and the overall efforts are sustainable.