Rwanga, UNDP link Iraqi graduates to private sector jobs
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Hundreds of young job seekers gathered in Kirkuk on Tuesday as a major job fair opened, bringing together local and international companies working to boost employment opportunities in Iraq.
The event featured Teton Mitra, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq, and Hassan Sheikh Alaa Al-Din, Executive Director of the Rwanga Foundation, alongside representatives from 35 participating companies.
Organized with support from Rwanga and UNDP, and in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Development Bank (KfW), the fair aimed to connect Kirkuk’s graduates and young professionals with real job opportunities and training programs.
Companies from sectors including trade, industry, services, telecommunications, construction, and IT offered positions as well as vocational programs to help young people improve their skills and enter the job market more confidently.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Sheikh Alaa Al-Din explained that the fair was designed to meet a real need among Kirkuk’s youth, emphasizing that collaboration with international partners and the private sector can bring tangible results for young people looking to start their careers.
دەزگای روانگە پێشانگای (هەلی کار)ی لە شاری كەركوك کردەوەلە درێژەی كار و چالاكییەكانی خۆیدا بۆ گرنگیدان بە توێژی گەنجان، لە دوای شاری موسڵ دەزگای روانگە پێشانگای هەلی کاری لە شاری كەركوك کردەوە. ئەم پڕۆژەیە لەلایەن پڕۆگرامی گەشەپێدانی نەتەوە یەکگرتووەکان (UNDP) پاڵپشتی دەکرێت و… pic.twitter.com/NCoqlx6yee
— Rwanga Foundation (@RwangaFdn) December 1, 2025
In turn, UNDP’s Mitra highlighted the role of employment in promoting stability and sustainable development, noting that local partnerships are key to implementing initiatives that make a visible impact on the community.
Abdulrahman Khalil, a recent university graduate, described the fair as “a real chance to find work that matches my qualifications,” adding that such initiatives save graduates time and effort while giving them hope for the future.
According to the organizers, the fair is expected to generate around 250 job opportunities in Kirkuk and help build connections between companies and young professionals, potentially leading to more openings over time.
Founded in 2013 by Idris Nechirvan Barzani, Rwanga is a nonprofit organization based in the Kurdistan Region. Initially focused on improving children’s education, its work has expanded to include economic development, youth empowerment, environmental protection, and humanitarian aid. The foundation also advances climate action through local initiatives that support its environmental objectives.
