BINA craftsman school Erbil

The new craftsman school in Erbil brings the proven Bavarian training to Kurdistan and lays the foundation for the professional future of many young people.

With the support of the Kurdish Ministry of Planning and Education, bfz has been building a school for craftsmen in Erbil since 2017. It serves the training of Syrian refugees and disadvantaged Kurdish youth in the BINA project. BINA offers the participants a wide range of services: The offer covers all steps from initial vocational orientation to high-quality training and placement in employment. bfz already has proven instruments for labour market integration in Bavaria and adapts them to the local conditions in northern Iraq. To ensure the sustainability of the project, local experts are being trained as future multipliers of the concepts. The project thus creates long-term prospects for local youth and also contributes to stability in the region.

Lack of career opportunities

Young people in northern Iraq often lack job opportunities. The education system is clearly characterized by a strong focus on employment in the public sector. The private sector is very small and existing enterprises often complain about the low level of education, especially in practical skills. In addition, there is a large number of refugees from Syria seeking refuge and career prospects in Kurdistan.

Not only a new school, but also new content

The bfz has already trained a total of 460 Syrian and Kurdish pupils aged 15 to 18 in the newly opened Wasta Rajab School by April 2019. In order to improve teaching, completely new curricula are being developed with the help of the German instructors - for example in the basics of physics, mathematics and electrical engineering. Above all, modern topics such as training in photovoltaics are attracting a great deal of interest.

The 208 trained vocational school teachers act as multipliers in the project and in turn pass on their knowledge to others. In addition to the technical content of the individual vocational fields, the bfz experts also train the participants in job search and job placement. As a result, 63 of the graduates have already been integrated into the labour market.

The four proven cornerstones of the BINA project are:

1. Profiling: the participants will be checked for their abilities, competences and interests, will be informed and advised.
2. Vocational training: according to the results of the profiling, the participants are placed in vocational qualifications. The measures are adapted to local needs in terms of content and duration.
3. Placement in work: cooperation with companies ensures success in integration into the labour market. In order to ensure practical relevance, participants are placed in internships or similar placements wherever possible.
4. The training of the trainers ensures the sustainability of the project.

The bfz trainers are regularly on duty and pass on their specialist knowledge to the subject teachers and their students. The vocational areas are currently Mechatronics & Automotive, Photovoltaics, Heating & Sanitary and Air Conditioning & Electrical Engineering.

The project was launched in February 2017 and runs until June 2019, including an extension period. It is financed exclusively by the Bavarian State Chancellery. The bfz acts as an implementing institution, imparts expert knowledge in the field of vocational education and training and builds up local advisory skills and network structures.

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