Erbil, December 3, 2019 | Sixteen Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have graduated from Toyota Iraq’s two-month Technical Development Training Programme, thanks to an on-going partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); with support from Human Relief Foundation (HRF).

The programme offered tailored training on Customer Relationship Management and Automotive Parts Warehouse Management to provide a pathway for long-term job opportunities for young men and women forcefully displaced during ISIL’s occupation of Iraq. Six cohorts of IDPs have now successfully completed the Toyota certified training, bringing the total number of IDPs trained under this programme to 69.

Toyota Iraq’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shinsuke Fujimoto, congratulated graduates at a ceremony on Tuesday, “I am, indeed, honored to stand in front of you all and to bear witness to the graduation ceremony of our 6th group of trainees. Providing fair opportunity to access jobs is one way Toyota Iraq Corporate Social Responsibility Activity serves to support the society,” he said.

Ms. Zena Ali Ahmad, Resident Representative of UNDP Iraq, also commented on the importance of building resilient communities. “Employability is a critical factor in helping IDPs with the daunting task of rebuilding their lives – many of whom lost their jobs due to their forced displacement. Training opportunities like this are essential not only to build participants’ confidence but allow them become financially independent in the future,” said Ms. Ali Ahmad.

Consular Officer of the Embassy of Japan in Iraq, Erbil, Mr. Katsumi Moriyasu, concluded with his gratitude toward the continued collaboration of public and private stakeholders, “This [partnership] is a clear indication of the growing recognition to the noble initiatives undertaken and being undertaken by Toyota Iraq and its partners, with a view to empowering displaced youth, women, persons living with a disability or other groups of the vulnerable.”

Following the completion of classroom and simulation training, each graduate benefitted from an on-the-job work experience for one month with Toyota Iraq’s Authorized Dealers. The training programme is financed by the Government of Japan and Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation through KfW.

For additional information, please contact:
Marley Jean Tinnock, UNDP Iraq Crisis Response & Resilience Programme
Mob: +964 751 741 9535

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