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Implementation Agency: Sustainable Research and Development Center, SRD

(Dr. Qasem Newashi, Team Leader)

 

Introduction​ 3

1   The current reality of work-based training. 3

2   The purpose of this document 4

3   Beneficiaries of this document 4

A look at the reality of work-based training  5

1   What is work-based training?. 5

2   The importance of work-based training. 5

3   Work-based training forms 7

4   Funding for work-based training programs. 10

5   Inclusiveness in work - based training. 11

Work-Based Training Program Planning   13

1   Identify the required professions and skills. 13

2   Use minimum standards and competencies for each profession's skills. 14

3   Selection of private sector institutions/companies 15

4   Agreement to Implement Work-Based Training Programs. 17

5   Work Based Training Team. 18

Organizing training programs for work-based training   19

1   Attracting and employing trainees 19

2   Develop training plans 19

3   Building monitoring and evaluation tools. 20

4   Training of technical team members concerned with work-based training. 21

Roles and Responsibilities  23

1   Regulatory body for work-based training programmes 24

2   Vocational and technical education and training institutions. 25

3   Employers. 25

4   Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 25

5   Trade unions 26

Conclusion. 26

 

 

Introduction​

Work-based training not only ensures lifelong learning opportunities for young people but also enables them to acquire skills relevant to the needs of the labor market through effective programs that contribute to creating decent job opportunities and supporting their continuation in work. However, due to the high rate of job seekers in Iraq and the low level of job security and social stability, it is necessary to design and organize vocational and technical education and training programs in a way that provides work-based training opportunities that effectively link the programs of vocational and technical education and training institutions with the needs of the labor market.

The short-term objective of this document is to assist TVET institutions and private sector institutions in the four governorates covered by the TAWASOL project in Iraq to plan and implement work-based training programs with the highest possible quality. The long-term objective focuses on supporting the technical capacity of the Government of Iraq to formulate a national strategy and legislative framework aimed at promoting work-based training in Iraq, in collaboration with local and international partners, and other stakeholders.

 

1    The current reality of work-based training

In order to develop vocational and technical education and training in Iraq, the Iraqi government is increasingly giving great importance to work-based training and is putting it on the agenda of developing its policies and legislation, with the aim of addressing the emergence of unemployment and the increasing number of job seekers. Vocational and technical education and training institutions are also keen to reduce the gap between the skills acquired by trainees and students and the requirements of the rapidly changing labor market. This requires designing and implementing training in real work sites, enhancing private sector participation, and supporting the safe transition of youth to productive workspaces.

However, the state of crises that Iraq has experienced during the past decades has caused vocational and technical education and training not to be given the proper attention. One manifestation of this is that the methods of implementing and the impact of work-based training programs are still much less than desired, and that these programs are often implemented in a formal manner to complete the graduation requirements for students or trainees, in addition to the low percentage of financial allocations needed to implement work-based training programs. This is accompanied by the fact that the prevailing culture in educational and training circles and their view of work-based training is minimal, but many factors, including the acceleration of technological developments, have made many vocational and technical education and training institutions realize the importance of work-based training, so many of these institutions have rushed to network and build partnerships with private sector institutions in order to improve work-based training programs.

The scarcity of initiatives and strategies for the vocational and technical education and training sector and the failure to review and amend the legislation regulating this sector for many years have contributed to increasing the gap between graduates’ skills and labor market requirements. However, there are some initiatives that are hoped to contribute to bridging part of this gap, and whose outputs can be used in designing and planning a national strategy for work-based training. For example, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has developed a ten-year strategy for vocational and technical education and training (2014 - 2023)^[1] in order to reduce the percentage of young people looking for work in Iraq.

In light of the assessment of the current reality, the TAWASOL project, implemented by the University Services Corporation of Canada (WUSC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education, sought to develop the reality of work-based training, including internships, on -the-job training, and other forms of work-based training, by designing work-based training programs, preparing a strategic plan and work guides, providing the necessary tools, and building the capacities of relevant work teams.

 

2    The purpose of this document

This document was prepared with the aim of providing guidelines and a strategy for developing work-based training programs in Iraq, which were reviewed and discussed in light of extensive consultations that included four technical universities, directorates of work, and vocational training centers in four governorates. Specifically, and within the framework of the objectives of the TAWASOL Project, this document seeks to enable vocational and technical education and training institutions and partner private sector institutions to develop work-based training programs according to the best practices and those most appropriate to the conditions of Iraq - by building and activating the role of partnerships with private sector institutions, adopting mechanisms to build the capacity of employees, define responsibilities, prepare standard operating procedures, and continuously develop forms of work-based training that contribute to training and qualifying students, trainees, and graduates to obtain, succeed, and continue in a job in line with the needs of the current labor market - local and global.

 

[1]The Government of Iraq.

 

1    Beneficiaries of this document

This document is primarily designed for stakeholders in skills development in TVET institutions and implementing partner institutions/employers, as well as trade unions, NGOs, INGOs and TAWASOL project partners. It will enable them to identify the methods and tools that will enable them to develop and implement work-based training programmes as effectively as possible.

 

 

A look at the reality of work-based training

1     What is work-based training?

Reports and studies related to vocational and technical education and training are crowded with similar terms that all share one meaning: training that takes place in a real workplace. Among these terms are job-based training; on-the-job training; institution-based learning; learning in the workplace; and training in the workplace. It was agreed with the management of the TAWASOL Project to adopt the term “work-based training” as a comprehensive concept for all forms of training that take place in real workplaces. In Iraq, we find that the most common forms of work-based training are internships and on-the-job training.

Work-based training in its broadest definition includes all types of training that are implemented in the field in real workplaces, and refers to training that takes place while an individual is doing his actual work, which may be for a fee or without a fee, but it must be real work that produces real products (goods or services). Therefore, the focus in work-based training is on actual work processes rather than training in an educational or training institution.

 

2     The importance of work-based training

Work-based training aims to provide trainees (or students or graduates) with knowledge, skills and attitudes related to a specific skill or profession, over a specific period of time that varies according to the competencies specific to the business sector or the nature of the skill or profession, as agreed upon with the company and the educational or vocational and technical training institution.

It is clear from the above that the main parties concerned with work-based training can be classified as follows:

1. Trainees or students (whether they are still studying/training or graduates).
2. Private sector establishments (employers, employees and workers in establishments, including the organized and unorganized business sector)
3. Vocational and technical education or training institutions (technical universities, vocational training centers).

The consultations concluded that the move towards developing and activating work-based training will contribute to achieving many objectives that constitute strengths and an opportunity for improvement for all parties concerned, including:

• Raising the skills of job seekers according to current or emerging labor market needs.
• Providing students, trainees and graduates with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary when changes occur in the work situation or profession due to developments in the tools, devices or technology required by the work.
• Promote the principle of lifelong learning in terms of providing an opportunity for capacity building for both trainees and employees working in the private sector.
• Improving the quality and importance of work-based training so that it becomes a fundamental factor in young men and women obtaining and maintaining employment opportunities and not merely completing training or study requirements.
• Increase companies’ productivity, improve the quality of their services/products, and raise their competitiveness.
• Reduce the cost of hiring and training employees.

 

The importance of work-based training for the private sector

The results of the consultations with stakeholders concluded that partnerships between private sector companies and vocational and technical education and training institutions should take into account the following five components that make up the system of any private sector company or institution:

 

1. Owners or shareholders – Whose interest is in the growth of the company's business, increasing profits, and the continuity of the company's activities.
2. Customers – whose primary concern is the quality and cost of products (goods or services).
3. Employees – who are concerned with a sense of security, fairness and career growth.
4. Funders and Supporters - Such as creditor banks, finance and money transfer companies, social partners, local and international organizations, whose interest is focused on the continuity of the company's activities and the extent of its participation in the economic and social development of the local community.
5. Management - which focuses on the effective use of available resources, improving product quality, achieving the highest percentage of profits, and the continuity of employees in their work and professional growth.

The benefits that companies can achieve when participating in work-based training can be summarized as follows:

• Explore Innovators/Innovation – Work-based training increases the company’s ability to innovate – business development – new products, product quality.
• Opportunity to increase company productivity.
• Exploring skilled workers/contribution of work-based training to increasing the employment rate of skilled employees/workers.
• Reach new customers or new markets.
• Achieving customer satisfaction.
• feeling of job security for the company's employees because work-based training has an impact on the development of their skills.
• environment - decent working conditions.
• Activating the company’s policies that address financial and administrative violations and errors, transparency and integrity.
• Marketing and improving the company's reputation.
• Qualifying the company in order to increase the company's export capacity/increase foreign sales.
• Increase the level of soft skills among employees (change the general atmosphere in the company and get to know different cultures).
• Benefit from the exemption and reduction of customs duties on production materials in exchange for training and tax reduction, as there are no taxes in university contracts - according to the Public Benefit Law.
• Renting spaces within the university campus for training and service purposes at reduced rates (in accordance with the Law on Rent and Investment of State Funds).
• Developing the company's business model in light of the outcomes of work-based training, especially when using non-traditional formats such as Capstone research groups.

 

3     Work-based training forms

Consultations with TVET institutions in the four governorates covered by the TAWASOL project led to the identification of a variety of work-based training forms that are currently being implemented in certain institutions and not others, or forms that are being implemented in different countries , but which the workshop participants considered appropriate to the conditions of Iraq and applicable, and are expected to be effective in achieving the objectives of work-based training programmes.

The forms of work-based training discussed include forms currently adopted and implemented by most relevant institutions such as internship, on -the-job training, as well as other non-traditional forms.

During the workshops, it was noted that there is an overlap and confusion between these terms in terms of their meanings, and between the forms of work-based training in terms of their implementation mechanisms; therefore, it is useful to summarize the results of these consultations regarding the forms of work-based training that are most appropriate to the Iraqi environment. These forms were analyzed based on a set of criteria such as the target group, the duration of the program, the availability of wages, the existence of contracts, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the accreditation of training for professional practice, and other criteria that ensure the adaptation of the program to the Iraqi environment such as the legislative framework and the program’s coverage of social security.

Below is a review of the forms of work-based training that the discussions concluded were most effective and appropriate for the Iraqi environment.

 

Internship​

In Iraq, this type of training is commonly called “summer training.” It is the usual training that is implemented as part of a university or vocational training center program. This type of training is usually implemented at the end of the academic (or training) program or near the end of the academic (or training) program. Its end. This training includes distributing students or trainees who have completed their regular training or are still receiving regular institutional training to join government or private work sites so that they can become familiar with the work environment and apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired.

 

Challenges:

The extensive consultations confirmed the existence of many challenges, including:

1. The training is carried out with the aim of completing the legal requirements of the study programme, and not with the aim of getting acquainted with real work environments and applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired during regular study in real work locations.
2. The duration of internships is not uniform between technical universities or vocational training centers, but they share the fact that the duration of internships lasts for a few months.
3. Unpaid internships.
4. The absence of a specific development plan for the trainee to ensure that the training will cover specific skills or aspects of the profession or work.
5. Internal training does not have specific mechanisms, guides and tools used by those implementing this type of training.
6. Internships do not result in licenses, certifications, or skills-based certifications.

As previously noted, this document will focus on the operational aspects of work-based training, regardless of the form of work-based training adopted by TVET providers. Therefore, the practical aspects of this document can be applied to internships, on-the-job training programmes and any other forms of work-based training.

 

On-the-Job Training

On-the-job training is practical training that takes place in a real workplace related to a specific profession or job. This training is not a requirement for graduation from formal education or training, but is attended by a student, trainee or graduate to gain experience in a real workplace that qualifies him to obtain a job/position or to succeed in his job/position and continue in it.

In the work environment, trainees have the opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes they have acquired during their university studies or at the vocational training center. In general, the trainee uses the resources available in the workplace, including tools, equipment, documents and data, so that the trainee can effectively carry out the tasks related to the profession in accordance with the work procedures and policies followed in the workplace. Participants in the workshops and consultative sessions reviewed the many forms that this type of work-based training takes, the most prominent of which are:

1. Participatory Training Program: Where the student/trainee joins a job opportunity during his studies according to the needs of the private sector, which provides the trainees with the opportunity to combine their theoretical studies with work experience in the same field, and on the other hand, the private sector obtains a workforce that matches the needs of the company and its projects, and the company trains them and builds their capabilities according to the company’s work procedures and policies. This type of training is called participatory because it is implemented under a partnership agreement and understandings between the educational or training institution on the one hand and one of the companies operating in the region.
2. Accredited training programs: This training is provided by a locally or internationally accredited institution to grant trainees official certificates in a specific specialty or profession or specific skills that enable the trainee to obtain an official license (permit) to establish their own projects (self-employment).
3. Field Experience Programs: An educational or training institution places a group of students/trainees in an organization (either private or public) to gain advanced experience in a specific job, skill or equipment that qualifies students/trainees for new or more in-demand professional fields but is not required for a professional license. This form of training is used when the vocational or technical education or training institution realizes that there are new or emerging developments and fields in the field of specialization while the institution’s training/study curricula have not yet been updated to keep pace with these developments.
4. Capstone Applied Research Projects: In this type of training, students carry out practical research projects in real-world conditions with an economic and/or social dimension that contribute to solving problems or challenges facing work in the company. It is worth noting that this type of training has been tested at the Northern Technical University and has proven successful not only in providing students with work skills but also enabling them to generate creative ideas to face real challenges in the workplace.
5. Customer Service: A set of activities that aim to provide an opportunity for the trainee to provide a service to the public/recipient, ensuring that he learns and practices the skills of the profession.
6. Incubators and accelerators: These primarily aim to foster entrepreneurship, and qualified applicants may receive funding, mentoring and guidance from experienced practitioners, and ideas may be adopted by interested companies or investors. Incubators and accelerators often focus on the digital economy only.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• Work-based training should not be repetitive but should be designed based on up-to-date and continuous assessments of the labor market and implemented within a clear development strategy that uses standardized and precise mechanisms and tools to ensure that training is relevant to needs and will lead to sustainable employment opportunities.
• The work-based training programme should be adapted to the differences between the geographical regions in Iraq as this has an impact on the labor market. For example, business and economic activities in southern Iraq differ significantly from the rest of the governorates of Iraq.
• The necessity of analyzing the experiences and success stories implemented by some vocational and technical training and education institutions with companies to extract lessons learned and generalize the results and experiences to the rest of the governorates. Especially those experiences related to work-based training programs implemented by technical universities or vocational training centers that succeeded in integrating graduates into the labor market, or that succeeded in developing and achieving progress in a specific field such as solving specialized or technical problems or employing technology.
• Adopting a twinning approach between universities. This means that each technical university has another twin technical university with which to participate and exchange experiences and information, so that this contributes to updating and developing work-based training activities and determining summer training programs - these falls within the approach of continuous development of university programs and building institutional capacities.
• There is a lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in work-based training. For example, there is a legal vacuum regarding the role of companies and mechanisms for linking stakeholders with technical universities and vocational training centers. It is necessary to clarify the legislation or instructions that define responsibilities and regulate the relationship between the parties involved in work-based training, or issue legal interpretations for them.
• The need for legal agreements or contracts to regulate the relations between technical and vocational education and training institutions on the one hand and companies on the other, and for the agreement to be in the best interest of the trainee, and for the agreement and its appendices to include mechanisms for its implementation and its role in building the individual and institutional capacities of the parties to the agreement.
• There is a need to reach a form of work-based training that supports the availability of financial funding for trainees so that they can start their own projects after graduation or obtain advanced training according to specific requirements of private sector companies.
• The need to provide a common database for young job seekers, available to companies that often request data from universities about graduates for the purpose of selecting employees. Therefore, there must be a database of graduate information and guidance after graduation to available opportunities for work-based training.

4     Funding for work-based training programs

Iraq has legislation that guarantees financial allocations for trainees, but these legislations are not activated and have been suspended for years. Therefore, there are no incentives for trainees. In addition, the job seeker naturally does not have his own financial resource through which he can cover the costs of training. Moreover, many accredited training programs require financial amounts that the majority of job seekers do not have. On the other hand, providing financial allocations for work-based training programs should include supporting small and medium enterprises and projects to encourage them to provide work-based training on the one hand, and to improve the quality of training and provide a decent work environment.

 

Guidelines and strategy

Implementing effective work-based training programs requires adequate budget and financial allocations. Therefore, civil society institutions and international organizations should mobilize and advocate for the activation and development of legislation that guarantees the provision of financial support and incentives to both trainees and small and medium-sized private sector institutions to facilitate work-based training, improve the quality of training and ensure a decent work environment. Not only that, but the body or entity that should play the role of organizing and managing work-based training - referred to in the previous item - may be responsible for planning to disburse financial allocations according to priority areas of support and incentives, such as:

1. Raising the level of organization and management of work-based training. This can be achieved by building the institutional capacities of companies and their employees with the aim of qualifying a group of companies to meet the conditions and possess the requirements to provide effective and appropriate training for job seekers by specialized employees, in addition to providing the basic tools for training management (such as: models, training procedures, special equipment for training).
2. Raising the quality of training programs provided by companies specialized in employment and training.
3. Raising the skills of local trainers and certifying them by accredited international institutions to ensure their competence to provide training in new or potential skills that will improve trainees’ chances of obtaining and continuing employment.
4. Support SMEs to provide decent work requirements including occupational health and safety measures and requirements at work sites where trainees will receive work-based training.
5. Providing transportation for trainees, paying their salaries or part of them, providing them with basic work supplies such as work clothes, and registering them with social security and work accident insurance.
6. The need to support and fund standardized skills testing and issuance of accredited certificates.

 

5     Inclusiveness in work - based training

Below is a summary of the main social and cultural challenges that affect the enrolment of different groups in society in work-based training programmes:

• The need to implement awareness-raising courses on the labor law and workers’ rights, especially with regard to the rights of working women, gender justice, and the rights of persons with disabilities.
• It is necessary to analyze the target groups of work-based training programmes and to identify the conditions of the area regarding accessibility to the training venue, and the actions that should be taken before and during the training to enable women, girls and persons with disabilities to join.

• Commitment to global instructions and declarations that stipulate respect for women’s rights, the right of youth to work, and the right of persons with disabilities, and ensuring the protection of trainees from various forms of exploitation and harassment.

• Support the strengthening of measures to ensure inclusive access to training for underrepresented groups, such as women in remote areas, refugees and internally displaced persons.
• A special quota should be set for different groups of society to ensure the principle of inclusiveness, ensuring reasonable participation of women and persons with disabilities in work-based training programmes.
•  Emphasizing the involvement of both female and male youth in non-traditional forms of work-based training, as similar experiences in regional countries have shown that women and girls often want to participate in regular work-based training activities, while trying to stay away from non-traditional activities such as Capstone research groups and hackathons.
• Some officials who participated in the project consultations believe that some girls and women in certain communities in Iraq are still not confident in their ability to compete with young men in a number of professions that are dominated by stereotypes that make them exclusive to men.
• Often women and girls are still not interested in obtaining work-based training because they are busy providing care for a family member.
• Women's participation in training courses and work-based training programmes should be mobilized and advocated at the national level through awareness-raising of community leaders including mosque imams and public representatives.
• Real-life success stories of women and girls, selected from Iraqi society or from neighboring countries, should be highlighted.
•  Providing different ways to apply for work-based training programs so that all groups can apply, including people who do not have literacy skills, are unable to use communication and technology, or people who have visual or hearing challenges, or other challenges.
•  The team supervising the implementation of work-based training programmes needs to ensure that the requirements for the enrolment of persons with disabilities are met, and that the minimum percentage specified for employing persons with disabilities is taken into account.

 

 

 

Work-Based Training Program Planning

For all forms of work-based training, the following steps can be followed to plan them:

1. Identify targeted professions in the labor market and demand for skills.
2. Determine professional competency standards for each specialty or business sector or use available standards, if available.
3. Selecting qualified companies and employers willing to participate.
4. Signing of a work-based training agreement between the vocational and technical education and training institutions and the company.
5. Forming a working team to supervise, implement and evaluate the work-based training programme.

1     Identify the required professions and skills

The body supervising work-based training or vocational and technical education and training institutions determines the labor market demand to determine the most in-demand professions and skills; this is done by conducting comprehensive periodic studies to evaluate the labor market, and based on this, work sites (companies) are selected to implement work-based training, and the selection is based on the trainees’ employability after the end of the training.

After identifying the skills needs, it is necessary to analyze the target groups in terms of the specializations and skills available to them, the weakness in technical and professional skills, the degree of readiness to join the program, and to determine the conditions of the region related to the possibility of accessing the training site, and the procedures that should be taken before and during the training to enable women and persons with disabilities to join.

This training needs analysis will address the implementation schedule of the work-based learning program, as well as identify key features of the program such as relevant competencies, time frame, admission criteria, etc.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• Work-based training programmes are designed based on selected occupations according to the latest market studies, and periodic labor market assessment studies should be directed so that each study focuses on specific sectors or occupations.
• The labor market assessment should be conducted using various tools especially those that measure the market pulse such as content analysis of what is published by private sector companies such as financial reports and job advertisements.
• The results of the labor market assessment should be used to identify potential employers/private sector companies to actively participate in the implementation of work-based training programmes.
• Companies choose training sites based on companies that are likely to employ the largest number of job seekers, especially those companies that are expected to be involved in major tenders or capital projects.
• TVET institutions implementing a specific form of work-based training should coordinate with each other to exchange experiences, working papers and models, and standardize procedures.
• Maintaining sustainable communication between vocational and technical education and training institutions and companies in the region, as this helps in identifying the needs of the labor market on a regular basis; this requires developing a media and communication plan and implementing regular systematic visits, whether there are work-based training programs being implemented during that period or not.
• It is necessary to develop standardized work procedures to assess labor market needs in order to facilitate the needs assessment and disseminate the results and benefit from them to the rest of the governorates, in addition to facilitating their linking with a unified database.

 

2      Use minimum standards and competencies for each profession's skills.

Over the past years, Iraq has developed the Competency-Based Training (CBT) approach in TVET as an effective way to ensure that training programs continue to keep pace with labor market requirements. This approach focuses on the skills and competencies that a teacher or trainer can focus on while working in a practical way for a specific profession. Competency-based training is particularly relevant to the future of work, but it has not yet been fully integrated into work-based training in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Therefore, this shortcoming must be addressed by supervisors of work-based training programs reviewing the evidence, standards and competencies for each profession ^[1], how to implement them, measure their impact and develop them continuously in order to use them in the gradual reform of work-based training programs to increase the level of matching between skills and labor market requirements.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• competency standards in Iraq should form the basis for planning work-based training programmes. If occupational standards are found to be missing for a particular occupation or are present and need updating, it is necessary to work with employers to identify the skills required in the chosen occupations.
• If it is not possible to develop professional standards for certain reasons (such as lack of budget, time, lack of institutional capacity, etc.), the organizations implementing work-based training should at least take the initiative to develop an initial list of core competencies that should be agreed upon with the participating companies. This initial list should then be modified and detailed through the competency analysis that will be carried out at the stage of developing the work-based training program plan and the individual development plan for each trainee.
• There must be a unified professional framework and standards to determine the professional competencies for each specialty, and to update them continuously, for example every five years, to ensure that they keep pace with developments and changes in the labor market, global trends, and the tendencies of young job seekers.
• Capacity building programmes should be provided for staff in vocational and technical education and training institutions to prepare and develop standards for the professional development of trainers and teachers and professional standards for each specialty.
• Professional standards documents and the competencies derived from them for each specialty must be made available on an electronic platform that allows all stakeholders to easily access and benefit from them to adapt their programs to include the general framework of competencies and in line with the results of the skills needs assessment. This step ensures reducing costs, eliminating duplication, and unifying efforts aimed at developing work-based training programs.

3     Selection of private sector institutions/companies

The process of selecting the most suitable private sector institutions/companies to participate in the work-based training programme must be based on pre-determined and transparent criteria and must be applied by a committee formed by the vocational and technical education and training institutions that will implement the work-based training programme.

Preparing the list of companies to be selected as workplaces where work-based training programmes will be implemented for each occupation or job skill set requires the availability of a database of private sector establishments in the geographical area where the work-based training programme will be implemented, then analyzing it and identifying a shortlist of potential establishments.

The consultations organized by the TAWASOL Project led to the need to pay attention to many criteria when selecting the appropriate institutions/companies to participate in the work-based training program, including:

• Legal requirements, in terms of official registration and availability of the necessary licenses for the institution/company.
• Qualifications of the company’s key employees in terms of a minimum number of employees holding international licenses and permits in the chosen profession, in order to ensure the availability of qualified guides and supervisors with distinguished experience.
• Provide a desire to participate in the work-based training program and express this desire by showing interest according to a special form prepared for this purpose.
• Providing training requirements, in terms of meeting and communication spaces, face-to-face training and remote training.
• Provides occupational safety and health conditions and the principle of comprehensiveness.

 

 

Guidelines and strategy

• The training implementing entity must conduct site /field visits to each company before final approval of its participation in the program to verify the availability of all terms of reference. Workshop participants indicated that some companies were found to provide documents and have a distinct presence in cyberspace, but when they were visited on the company’s site, the minimum requirements for on-site training were not met. Conversely, some companies provide all the material and technical requirements for on-the-job training, but this was not clear in the company’s documents at the analysis and evaluation stage.
• The selection criteria for participating institutions/companies in work-based training should be consistent with the different sizes of companies/potential employers (large, medium, small, micro, and informal sector). Because some small companies may not meet the selection criteria or will not be able to meet all the conditions for participation in the work-based training program. Conversely, some skills and professions cannot be trained in large companies but are available in the informal sector or in the informal business sector.
• It is necessary to continuously review the criteria for selecting institutions/ companies that will participate in the work-based training program because social and economic conditions are subject to continuous change. For example, some companies may not be able to continue receiving trainees due to the cessation of some of the activities of the company that was receiving a number of trainees, or due to the lack of financial allocations for training in the company, or when the company restructures human resources or suffers financial losses.
• If some of the companies selected to participate in the work-based training programme are unable to provide qualified trainers, the vocational and technical education and training institutions should participate in providing trainers within the company to ensure that the standards and conditions are met and the quality of the training is sustained.
• The selection of supervisors and trainers within the company must be done in a participatory manner between the company and the vocational and technical education and training institutions implementing the work-based training programme, including conducting personal interviews with them and implementing organized observations of them at work sites.
• Some companies may need to be re-evaluated during the implementation of the program to verify that they continue to meet the specified selection criteria.
• Each profession has its own risks, and each work site has its own risks related to construction, materials used, equipment and their locations, so a detailed risk assessment must be conducted at work sites.
• The criteria for selecting the participating company or institution must include the minimum conditions and qualifications required for trainers and supervisors, which should include life skills, such as communication skills, problem-solving skills, and teamwork, as well as any life skills specific to the chosen profession.
• When choosing companies to participate in the work-based training program, do not rely only on the good reputation of the company, but all companies must be subjected to comprehensive evaluation procedures. Because sometimes we are surprised that a company with a good reputation does not have qualified trainers or a team that can supervise the trainees.
• Develop standard operating procedures to be used when selecting employers and workplaces for a work-based training programme.

 

4     Agreement to Implement Work-Based Training Programs

Through advocacy and mobilization, the TAWASOL project has succeeded in enabling many vocational and technical education and training institutions and private sector companies to sign cooperation agreements. A unified agreement model was developed between the two parties with the aim of networking and coordinating efforts and resources to develop and activate work-based training programs. The cooperation agreement ensures that all parties follow training plans and agreed-upon terms throughout the full implementation phases of work-based training programs. Therefore, the participants in preparing this document agreed on the need to prepare a detailed annex and an action plan to be attached to the cooperation agreement and to be an integral part thereof.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• There is no agreement/contract between the employer/company and the trainee. The trainee, who is the pivotal element of work-based training programs, is still not an official party to the programs. Therefore, a contract should be established between employers and trainees to ensure the smooth running of the training and guarantee the rights of both parties before starting the work-based training program.
• The annex to the cooperation agreement must include details of the activities of the work-based training program, and define the roles and responsibilities, as stated in the model included in this document, with the possibility of amending and adapting them according to the circumstances and with the approval of the two parties.
• The agreement must emphasize the issuance of certificates of experience or accredited professional certificates.
• The need to develop a specific code of conduct for employers participating in workplace learning programmes, so that this code is the basic condition prior to signing the cooperation agreement. This code of conduct helps employers participating in workplace learning programmes set the standards that employers should meet to provide a safe and decent learning and training environment for trainees. When developing the code of conduct for Iraq, the codes of conduct prepared by the International Labor Organization in many countries can be used as a reference ^[2].
• The standard model of the cooperation agreement related to work-based training must be adopted by the government institutions regulating vocational and technical education and training, including the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in order to ensure that the content of the agreement does not conflict with the applicable laws and legislation, and to give the agreement the official status that prompts the parties concerned to adhere to the content of the agreement.
• It is not enough to simply adopt the Code of Conduct by companies/employers and sign the cooperation agreement. This must be followed by sessions to discuss the details of these documents, verify the absence of violations, and prepare implementation plans that suit the circumstances of both parties.

5     Work Based Training Team

In light of the above, a working team should be formed to plan, design, prepare, implement and monitor the work-based training programme. The typical working team will consist of training coordinators from TVET institutions, vocational trainers/teachers, on-the-job/in-company trainers, coordinators from participating institutions/companies, a representative of the work-based training regulatory body, if one has been established, and mentors.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• The work team is selected according to pre-set criteria and conditions, in addition to the necessity of taking into account the type of profession, skills or training program required to be implemented, and the conditions of the labor market, in a way that ensures the participation of the institutions directly concerned, and the size of the participating institutions, with the necessity of having a fixed management of human resources in the participating institutions, the restrictions imposed on the budget, the availability of a sufficient number of employees in the implementing organization in addition to the number of trainees and the institutions concerned.
• The working group should be formed based on a joint working session between representatives of vocational and technical education and training institutions and employers to determine the number and specifications of the working group members.
• The team supervising and implementing work-based training must include a coordinator specializing in the subject area of the training or the chosen profession and at least a vocational trainer and an in-company trainer or craftsman who will most likely also be the mentor.
• The proposed team members from the company need to have initial discussions among themselves to define common goals, concepts, terminology and workflows that will be used during team meetings, discuss plans and assign responsibilities. This will help avoid disagreements between team members who often disagree on the meaning of concepts and terminology related to work-based training. A glossary of terms used in TVET, and work-based training should therefore be provided.

 

 

Organizing training programs for work-based training

To ensure the proper organization and implementation of work-based training programs, the following activities must be implemented:

1. Attracting and employing trainees.
2. Develop training plans.
3. Building monitoring and evaluation tools.
4. Training of team members concerned with work-based training.

 

1     Attracting and employing trainees

Vocational and technical education and training institutions implementing work-based training, in cooperation with relevant institutions from civil society organizations and local associations, should adopt mechanisms and tools to implement various activities to attract and encourage trainees to participate in work-based training programs, and thus facilitate their access to and continuation of employment opportunities. These should include, for example, tools for selecting participants, including specifying admission qualifications, age, number of trainees for each training program, and conditions for joining the selected professions or required skills. The institution implementing work-based training shall also appoint the work team in accordance with the standard operating procedures related to planning and implementing the training program approved by the body that will organize work-based training (if any) or the relevant ministry.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• The work-based training team should discuss whether there is a minimum level of knowledge and skills that a candidate should have before joining the training and agree how this knowledge and skills will be measured.
• The availability of professional inclinations in the candidate for work-based training must be considered a basic condition for admission, and the level of these inclinations is measured through a personal interview with the candidate.
• A special quota should be set for different groups in society to ensure the principle of inclusiveness, ensuring reasonable participation of women and persons with disabilities.
• Develop, disseminate and apply standard operating procedures or guidelines for trainee recruitment to outreach activities and trainee selection, to avoid trainees being recruited for incentives only rather than for skills acquisition.

2     Develop training plans

In light of the selection of participants in the work-based training program, the implementing vocational and technical education and training institutions work in partnership with private sector companies to develop a training plan based on the objectives of the professional specialization, its content and the skills it includes. The training plan should be prepared in a participatory manner and reviewed periodically by the work team to follow up on the progress of its implementation and address the challenges facing the training. The training plan also includes a list of training program needs, a schedule for distributing trainees, and determining the times for trainees to rotate in the work sites.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• Vocational and technical education and training institutions develop a unified model for work-based training plans.
• The training plan should include individual plans for each trainee that include the skills he is expected to acquire, the activities, training times and hours, and methods of self-assessment, interim and final assessment.
• Before starting a work-based training program, it is necessary to evaluate the needs of companies and work sites (workshops and offices) in terms of human resources (trainers) and material resources (equipment) in order to avoid increasing work pressures on trainers and employees within the company so that they do not lose their enthusiasm for participating in work-based training.
• The cooperation agreement between vocational and technical education and training institutions and private sector companies should provide sufficient flexibility so that each party can adapt its study programmes and working hours to suit the work-based training plan. If this is not possible, the training plan should be modified to suit the circumstances of the parties concerned.

 

3     Building monitoring and evaluation tools

In order to reduce the burdens that often plague the work team, especially the coordinators of work-based training programmes, guides or tools should be developed that facilitate the monitoring, evaluation and direction of work-based training towards achieving the desired objectives.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• There is a need to train staff on the use of the guides and templates before the work-based training program is first started to ensure that team members are able to implement the program as planned.
• Vocational and technical education and training institutions should develop a set of guides or tools, the most important of which are:

• A guide to assessing trainees’ acquisition of planned skills specific to the profession. These tools will focus on practical, applied skills.
• Evaluation of specialist knowledge in relation to his ability to demonstrate the knowledge he has acquired and share it with others, with an emphasis on life and work skills.
• A tool for monitoring the implementation of work-based training, to ensure the implementation of various aspects of the training programme such as the resources and conditions that should be available in the workplace, the readiness and commitment of employers, the quality of the training developed by the trainer within the company.

 

• The team may see the need to combine the skills assessment tool with the trainee's specialist knowledge assessment tool in order to reduce the number of forms, but this will increase the time required to complete the information required in the tool.
• It is preferable that the tools be built on an electronic platform and a special application be prepared for that, so that the trainee can conduct a self-assessment, and then the work team reviews the tool and provides appropriate feedback.
• It is preferable that the evaluation be carried out weekly to enable trainees to observe their progress and adjust their practices as necessary.

 

 

4     Training of technical team members concerned with work-based training

To implement work-based training programs effectively and appropriately, trainers from TVET institutions must be trained on the job site before they begin training trainees. Trainers are qualified with technical skills to implement the work-based training program, but they are often unfamiliar with the working conditions, production lines, and work policies of the company; therefore, it is necessary to organize

Orientation Workshop Instructors/trainers from TVET institutions and in-house trainers learn about the work-based training programme and the technical and training skills to deliver the training.

 

Guidelines and strategy

• Before starting a work-based training programme, the work-based training team should undergo an orientation programme to ensure that they are able to supervise the programme in the relevant workplace. The orientation programme should include the following:

• Introducing the trainer/instructor from the vocational and technical education and training institutions to the work environment within the company
  • The basic elements that a team orientation program should include are:
• The concept of work-based training and its main aspects.
• Main forms of work-based training.
• Benefits of work-based training for organizations.
• Roles and responsibilities of technical staff and institutions in work-based training.
• Technical and general competencies and professional knowledge relevant to the professional specialization or skills.
• Standard operating procedures.
• Learning styles and training methods for work-based training (for more details see the section Implementing work-based training methods)
• Work-based training tools.
  • Some of this training can be conducted remotely, but at least one session must be conducted on-site so that all team members become familiar with the work environment.
  • Team members should be given certificates of achievement or certificates of completion as a motivational tool.

 

 

Roles and Responsibilities

 

Each vocational and technical education and training institution in Iraq organizes work-based training programs independently from the rest of the institutions, and there is no higher authority or body that supervises the organization and unification of the framework and management of work-based training programs and controls their quality.

 

Guidelines and strategy

The results of the consultations with the concerned parties concluded that there is a need to establish a public body (a body or institution) that supervises the design and implementation of work-based training programs and is responsible for developing and organizing professional and technical skills in technical universities and vocational training centers, in addition to coordinating with institutions of the formal and informal business sector. This body coordinates and cooperates with the rest of the concerned parties in all stages of implementing work-based training programs, while this institution retains the right to supervise. Monitoring and accountability with regard to the implementation and quality of the programme, formulating general policies for it and reorienting it in accordance with developments and labor market requirements. This body should form a council that includes representatives of technical and vocational training and education providers, representatives of business sectors, private sector companies, non-profit organizations/associations, chambers of commerce, labor and professional unions.

 

should not be the same as the provider of TVET services; partnerships with TVET institutions and private sector institutions must be formalized to support the independence of the implementation process from monitoring, follow-up, evaluation and accountability.

 

Although the majority of participants in the consultations preceding the preparation of this document indicated the weak role or effectiveness of employers’ unions and chambers of commerce in developing and implementing work-based training, it is necessary to involve various stakeholders from government bodies and social partners such as chambers, employers’ organizations and workers’ unions regardless of their respective capacities and orientations; in order to facilitate the implementation of work-based training and share information with stakeholders, while at the same time activating their societal role.

 

 

1    Regulatory body for work-based training programmes

Below are guidelines and outlines of the proposed key responsibilities and roles of the regulator of work-based training programmes:

• Identify priority occupations for the work-based training programme based on periodic labor market assessments.
• Design and plan work-based training programs for the most in-demand occupations and skills.
• Setting standards and conditions that ensure the quality of work-based training.
• Identify the most appropriate and effective forms of work-based training for each business sector or occupation.
• Building a comprehensive electronic labor market information system for all of Iraq, including information on job seekers and private sector companies.
• Design awareness and orientation activities for trainees regarding work-based training programmes.
• Forming and defining the tasks of the work-based training program team members.
• Networking with relevant institutions and developing a communication plan to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of cooperation.
• Supervising the final evaluation of trainees and issuing certificates.
• Providing standardized tools and working models for implementing work-based training programs.
• Monitor and evaluate the work-based training program.

 

Legislative aspects:

The establishment of a body to regulate work-based training programmes requires legislation based on national strategies related to human resources development and stemming from the laws regulating vocational and technical education and training in Iraq; in order to create clear regulatory structures to promote work-based training programmes and ensure compliance and accountability when implementing programmes.

Under this legislation, a work-based training council is expected to be formed, comprising decision-makers from the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Higher Education, representatives from private sector institutions, representatives from companies specializing in employment and training, and representatives from major business sectors. This council will determine the general directions of work-based training programs, approve relevant regulations and instructions, enhance cooperation and networking between vocational and technical training and education institutions and local and international private sector institutions, and approve agreements, plans, and programs.

 

2     Vocational and technical education and training institutions

• Participate in the development of the work-based training programme and facilitate and support its adoption and implementation.
• Providing incentives to encourage the participation of public and private institutions in work-based training programmes.
• Enforce labor laws, policies and standards.
• Providing institutional support for social dialogue and its sustainability.
• Support and facilitate partnerships between training providers and educational and technical institutions to implement work-based training programmes.
• Funding work-based training programmes.
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of work-based training.

 

3    Employers

• Support the regulator for work-based training – such as criteria for selecting trainees.
• Providing the university/training center with the training plan for employees and their needs for skills and jobs.
• Communicate with educational institutions and career centers about available training opportunities.
• Determine a percentage of social benefits allocations for work-based training and granting authorizations and accredited certificates.
• The trainee is properly directed by a qualified person.
• Providing the necessary facilities for training as specified in the plan.
• Providing a safe and appropriate training environment for trainees that ensures the application of occupational safety and health standards.
• Organizing training times, issuing certificates – certificate of experience.
• Commitment to global instructions and declarations that stipulate respect for women’s rights, the right of youth to work, and the right of persons with disabilities, and ensuring the protection of trainees from various forms of exploitation and harassment.
• Participate in the evaluation of the work-based training program to ensure the quality of training.

 

4    Chambers of Commerce and Industry

• Raising awareness and motivating companies and institutions to participate in work-based training programs.
• Providing the implementing agency with information about the labor market’s needs for professional skills targeted by work-based training programmes.
• List companies that have expressed their willingness to participate in work-based training programmes.
• Participate in providing work-based training programs.
• Participate in setting criteria for selecting training locations and key professionals (craftsmen).
• Ensure that potential craftsmen are trained to implement work-based training.
• Contribute to consultations on the list of skills or competencies and keep it up to date.
• Participate in the final skills test and certification.

 

5    Trade unions

• Support, educate and employ trainees and encourage young people to participate in work-based training programmes.
• Participate in the drafting of work-based training agreements and codes of conduct and ensure decent working and training conditions, including occupational safety and health, wages, allowances and working hours.
• Ensure that trainees receive good training under good working conditions and are not employed at low wages with the aim of dispensing with current employees/workers.
• Provide advice on training standards, curricula, training programmes and assessment procedures.
• Support the strengthening of measures to ensure inclusive access to training for underrepresented groups, such as women in remote areas, refugees and internally displaced persons.
• Preventing exploitation in all its forms under the umbrella of training.

 

Conclusion

This document includes a review of the requirements and stages of building work-based training programs in light of the consultations conducted within the TAWASOL Project implemented by the World University Service Corporation of Canada (WUSC). A set of guidelines and strategies are included at the end of each chapter of this document to ensure the continued development of work-based training programs in Iraq. It is expected that this document will contribute to enabling vocational and technical education and training institutions and partner private sector institutions to adopt mechanisms to build employee capacities, define responsibilities, prepare standard operating procedures, and continuously develop forms of work-based training in a way that contributes to training and qualifying students, trainees, and graduates to obtain, succeed, and continue in a job in line with the needs of the current labor market - local and global.

 

In order for the stakeholders whose roles and responsibilities have been identified in this document, the next step is to prepare the necessary evidence and tools to implement the development strategies contained in this document, which are referred to in this document within the guidelines and strategy. These evidence and tools can be summarized as follows:

1. Standard Operating Procedures for Developing a Work-Based Training Program Plan
2. Training Plan Template
3. Standard Operating Procedures for Developing Work-Based Training Programs
4. Standard Operating Procedures for Organizing Work-Based Training Programs
5. Standard Operating Procedures for Implementing Work-Based Training Programs
6. Monitoring and evaluation tools
7. Work-Based Training Team Training Plan
8. Roles and responsibilities of team members

 

 

[1] International Labor Organization.

[2]ILO, 2020. Code of Conduct for Employers Implementing Workplace-Based Learning Programs.