On International Youth Day, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and UNICEF officially launch the ‘Learning Passport’ digital platform to benefit 100,000 young people in Iraq [EN/AR] – Iraq

The platform builds on the continued work developed by the Prospects partnership, funded by the Netherlands, and applied by UNICEF and ILO, to assist refugees and IDPs to construct a brand new life and to be higher built-in by supporting host communities

Mosul, 13 August 2022 – Marking the Worldwide Youth Day, the Ministry of Youth and Sports activities, collectively with UNICEF, formally launched at Mosul College the ‘Studying Passport’, an internet training platform, to reply to the educational disaster and bridge the digital divide in Iraq.

Beneath the theme, “The youth generations are the nationwide treasure in restoration and reconstruction”, the launch occasion included a gap speech by H.E. Mr. Adnan Darjal, Minister of Youth and Sports activities, adopted by remarks by Mr. Najem Al-Juboori, Ninawah Governor, and Ms. Paula Bulancea, UNICEF Deputy Consultant in Iraq. Speeches have been accompanied by a youth-led Studying Passport presentation, and an artwork present organized by youth teams.

“I’m chatting with youth, don´t quit, your nation wants you! Youth has struggled over final years to get freedom and make their voices heard and for his or her must matter, together with their instructional wants. So many international locations are affected by such scarcity, and right here we are attempting to push ourselves for youth to have the life they deserve and fulfill the SDGs,” mentioned the Minister of Youth and Sports activities, Adnan Darjal. “It’s our duty within the coming years to proceed reforms wanted for youth to make sure their engagement in social life and to fill the price range hole to cowl their wants in training, well being and prevention, and for youth to develop their expertise, particularly these wanted within the labor market.”

The Studying Passport is a part of UNICEF’s broader efforts to speed up and enhance entry to high quality training and studying for each baby and younger folks. The platform helps the blended studying and skill-building alternatives for youth and adolescents from most weak teams, together with forcibly displaced and host communities.

“We should be sure that studying occurs alongside a number of versatile pathways – with a imaginative and prescient of transitioning to jobs. When younger individuals are supplied with the assist and sources they want, they would be the revolutionary problem-solvers capable of design, lead and implement initiatives and providers that may assist their complete communities.” mentioned Ms. Paula Bulancea, UNICEF Deputy Consultant in Iraq, throughout her speech at Mosul College.

Thus far, the Studying Passport has reached 4,647 younger folks (40 per cent younger women) in Iraq from Anbar, Baghdad, Dohuk and Salahaddin with a variety of studying and skilling sources, together with Life Abilities and Energetic Citizenship, the Adolescent Package for Expression and Innovation, Gender Equality, and plenty of others. After the nationwide launch with the Ministry, the platform is predicted to learn 100,000 younger folks by 2024 in Iraq.

For Worldwide Youth Day, a survey was organized by way of U-Report Iraq. The ballot on Studying Passport confirmed that 24% of the respondents have heard of Studying Passport and 27% have taken no less than one course on the platform. The ballot outcomes additionally confirmed that the youth are excited by taking digital programs to enhance their English, comfortable and arduous expertise, and advocacy programs on numerous subjects together with training, well being, and diet.

The Studying Passport is a digital innovation developed by UNICEF in partnership with Microsoft and Cambridge College to allow entry to high quality and inclusive studying and expertise growth. The Studying Passport equips younger folks and kids with obligatory instruments to assist their studying whether or not in faculties, houses or in hard-to-reach areas. The Studying Passport was deployed in Iraq in September 2020 and is at present out there on internet and cell app for kids and younger folks, quickly additionally offline, to have steady entry to studying supplies. It’s always up to date with the most recent variations of contextualized content material and options participating and interactive instruments developed by UNICEF to make studying enjoyable and fascinating.

Together with the Studying Passport, UNICEF has been working carefully with donors, companions, and different UN companies in direction of an inclusive future with energetic adolescent and youth participation and civic engagement. Funded by the Authorities of the Netherlands, UNICEF and Worldwide Labour Group (ILO) have been collaboratively supporting weak youth in Iraq underneath the Prospects partnership, to develop expertise and transition from coaching to first rate employment and financial alternatives. By means of this programme, weak youth, women, and boys, are taught life, digital and entrepreneurship expertise which might be in demand in right this moment’s employment market.

For additional info, please contact:

Miguel Mateos Muñoz, Chief of Advocacy and Communication, UNICEF

mmateosmunoz@unicef.org

Monica Awad, Communication Specialist, UNICEF

mawad@unicef.org

+964 780 925 8545

Nisreen Bathish, Communications Marketing consultant

Worldwide Labour Group (ILO)

E mail: bathish@iloguest.org