Erbil, June. 11, 2019 | Toyota Iraq, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxfam celebrated the graduation of 15 trainees from the Toyota Technical Development Program Training. This group is the 5^TH batch of internally displaced people (IDPs) who have successfully completed Toyota certified training.

Through an on-going partnership, Toyota Iraq has contributed to the people and society of Iraq by successfully training 53 young men and women in automotive mastery, customer service and skills and spare parts. This training batch was the biggest in size, as well as in duration – with training commencing on 17^th of February and concluding on 30^th of May. The extensive 3 months of continuous training delivered not only technical knowledge but also introduced the ‘Toyota Way’ and our Toyota Iraq’s Corporate Shared Values, followed by inclusive technical training and an on-the-job training experience for one month at Toyota Authorized Dealers in Erbil, Cihan Motors and SAS Automotive Services.

The successful collaboration of program partners - UNDP, OXFAM, the Government of Japan and Toyota Iraq, ensured that the latest training cohort were all able to complete training and receive recognition at Tuesday’s graduation ceremony. Mr. Sardar Al Bebany, President, Toyota Iraq, said, “This program is one of the ways we provide support to local society. Through this program I have witnessed that when IDP’s are given equal opportunity for employment, they are empowered to change and improve their lives. We had total of 10 individual IDP’s now working with Toyota Iraq, as well as many others now working with other automobile companies”.

Deputy Country Director of UNDP Iraq, Vakhtang Svanidze also commented on the power of livelihood recovery for building resilient communities, “Enhancing livelihoods and employment opportunities is one of the key elements for self-reliance and early recovery of conflict effected communities. UNDP is grateful for the support of Toyota Iraq and Oxfam to provide technical training for young men and women IDPs originating from areas across Iraq – including Mosul, Anbar and Salah al-Din, improving their employability and enabling them to access the job market with invaluable experience.   This project would not be possible to implement without generous financial support by the government of Japan“.

Reinforcing a commitment to provide on-going support for the young men and women of Iraq, and to invest in the leaders of tomorrow, Toyota Iraq and UNDP renewed their partnership in early 2019, marking three years of collaboration in training and committing to a further two years.

Toyota Iraq’s commitment is reflective of their core principles and dedication to support the local communities in which they work, "By respecting the culture and practices of each country and region and engaging in business activities with close community ties, we are working to create an enriching society while promoting measures that support labor and education”.

Likewise, the Government of Japan shares this interest to develop and build resilience in nations around the world, “I would like to take this opportunity to stress that Japan is very effective in providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people, refugees, and host communities in Iraq and KRG.”,” commented by Japan Consul in Erbil, Mr. Katsumi Moriyasu.

The conclusion of the graduation ceremony was marked by Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shinsuke Fujimoto, who expressed on behalf of all Toyota Iraq, a proudness for the great achievement of each graduate and well wishes for their success in the next step of their career.

This programme was launched on the 25th of October 2016 as a flagship joint project between UNDP and Toyota Iraq to give internally displaced people opportunities to enter the automotive industry, with the partnership renewal as of 28th of January,2019.    

For additional information, please contact:

UNDP Iraq Crisis Response & Resilience Programme

Marley Jean Tinnock, Mob: +964 751 741 9535

Toyota Iraq

Mr. Amer Salih, General Manager, Marketing Department , Mob: +964 750 790 2444