Press Conference _ Work for Work Campaign _ Final Results Presentation

The campaign, led by 21 young people from the three cities, was created in response to the pressing challenges faced by youth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq when searching for jobs. These challenges included a lack of work experience, high entry requirements from employers, a mismatch between educational outcomes and labour market needs, and the prevalence of long-term volunteer work without a clear path to paid employment. The campaign aimed to strengthen youth capabilities, raise awareness, and make the voices of young people heard by decision-makers.

The organisers structured their work around three main pillars: universities, government, and the private sector. In cooperation with Halabja, Charmo, and Raparin universities, they collected and analysed graduation data to identify job market trends and engaged with Career Development Centres to better align academic programmes with labour market demands. They met with local authorities to address the challenges of long-term volunteering, receiving strong support and cooperation from government institutions. They also engaged with employers in all three cities to understand hiring needs, promote opportunities for fresh graduates, and encourage the provision of training and mentorship.

Through their research, the campaigners found that the sectors with the highest demand included medical fields such as chemistry, biology, nursing, physiotherapy, and pharmacy; foreign languages such as English and Arabic; engineering fields including physics, mechanical, electrical, and petrochemical engineering; and disciplines such as computer science, business administration, and marketing. By contrast, departments such as philosophy, history, geography, Kurdish language, water engineering, and geotechnical engineering were found to be in lower demand.

Over the course of six months, the campaign achieved significant results. Three hundred preparatory students received guidance on choosing university departments that are in demand. Fifty young people took part in workshops on CV writing and interview techniques, while university students and fresh graduates attended three workshops on entrepreneurship, planning, and management. Forty youth gained two months of professional work experience in the private sector, supported by basic expenses, and one hundred job opportunities were created in Chamchamal through the first job fair organised by the campaigners in partnership with twenty-two companies. In Ranya, fifty young entrepreneurs were supported through a youth festival, helping them market their products and create further employment opportunities. The “Youth Problem Solver” hackathon brought together fifty participants who presented seven innovative project ideas aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship in the Raparin area. In Chamchamal, a film week was organised to inspire youth through success stories and networking opportunities. The campaigners also participated in various community and national events in Halabja, Ranya, and Chamchamal to amplify the voices of young people. In total, more than 5,000 youth engaged directly with the campaign, and its message reached nearly 2 million people online.

Looking ahead, the campaigners plan to advocate for legislation protecting the rights of long-term volunteers in both the Kurdistan and Iraqi parliaments. They will work with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to organise training for fresh graduates in cooperation with government institutions and the private sector, and will continue engaging with investment departments to ensure that new projects include provisions for youth training and the protection of their rights. They will also present recommendations to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to improve the balance between education programmes and job market needs.

The campaigners expressed their sincere gratitude to SPARK and the Civil Development Organization (CDO) for supervising and coordinating their activities, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for financial support, the local administrations of Halabja, Ranya, and Chamchamal for facilitating their work, and the universities, government institutions, parliamentarians, employers, and media outlets who contributed to the campaign’s success. Most importantly, they thanked the thousands of young people who actively participated and demonstrated that they are not waiting for change, but are creating it themselves.

The Networks of Change II programme, implemented by SPARK in partnership with CDO and funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been running for more than six years, empowering youth across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq through skills development, advocacy, and community engagement.