Education is becoming a significant topic in Iraq as the economy diversifies and expands, the country modernises and raises its economic ambitions and realises the potential of its growing youth population.

Demography is driving the need to provide jobs for Iraq’s rapidly growing population, and skills and training are key to solving this requirement. MSelect recruiters have identified key areas of the economy that are lacking in skills, including significant needs in infotech, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, power, management and project management positions  Here is the survey.

The University sector is also aware of the skills gap and IBBC education sector group, comprising of UK and Iraqi Universities have skills and training for business at the top of its agenda at the IBBC Dubai Education conference.

Skills are very much the focus of the conference, with both the PM’s Higher education Professor Hamid Khalaf Ahmed, PM Advisor & Executive Director, The Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq & PM office, And Professor Hayder Abed Dhahad, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, speaking at the conference.

Both Professor Hamid and Dr Hazim Al-Zubaidi, Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research have been working closely with IBBC to establish what is required to modernise the curriculum for training and upskilling Iraqi students.

The conference will be covering significant topics including Iraq’s strategy for education, updates on legislation for private schooling, scholarship updates and vocational training developments.

The officials from Iraq are complimented by IBBC’s University chancellors like Professor Ian Gillespie, Principal of Dundee university, and private school heads from SABIS in addition, there will be KRG representatives, and leading business figures including the Wood group and Sardar group and vocational training expert’s city and Guilds. In terms of vocational training both Wood and Sardar are committed to long term training. Wood is announcing the launch of their new academy in Basra and Sardar continue to extol the benefit training offers not only their business, but also to the local communities they inhabit. Both companies are exemplars and follow the aims of IBBCs educational sector and of this conference.

The Education conference comes a day before the main business conference, at the Taj Hotel Dubai, but, as last year, we expect a significant turnout from IBBC business members for both days. GEMS as key sponsors will be driving the importance of qualifications and working closely with City and Guilds and the Iraq Red Crescent Society.

If you would like to attend either the Education conference on 12^th December, the evening reception for IBBC conference goers and the main business conference on 13^th December please register here.

And to find out more about the latest full agenda is here.