Using data to inform curricular design: labor market assessment implementation in Iraqi Kurdistan

• In Event: Global perspectives on educator training for TVET: a multi-organizational discourse

Proposal

As a technical advisor for an international non-profit organization, the presenter has been instrumental in collaborating with the Kurdistan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in initiating and implementing critical labor market assessments in three in-demand fields in Iraqi Kurdistan: healthcare, ICT, and construction. These assessments aim to align curriculum with current and projected labor market needs, a task made challenging by a lack of contextual data specific to entry-level employment for new university graduates.

This presentation will share an in-depth overview of how the labor market assessment process was structured to include diverse perspectives from university faculty, staff, and youth from across the entire Kurdistan Region. The presenter will discuss how the implementation process has strengthened the connections between academic institutions and the public and private sector in Iraqi Kurdistan, aligning well with the overarching CIES theme of promoting diverse voices in educational research and practice.

The presenter will also share valuable lessons learned throughout the process, from initial training and stakeholder buy-in, to navigating multilingual data collection, to cultural considerations when designing surveys, and best practices in data analysis. The labor market assessment findings will be used to inform both curriculum and extracurricular offerings at institutions, including polytechnic universities, serving as a catalyst for long-term curricular reform in the region.

The presentation will include data about top soft and technical skills desired by employers, the efficacy of different channels for entry-level job recruitment, the representation of women in the workforce, and anticipated technological advancements in the future. The presentation is aimed to serve a wide audience including academic institutions, Ministry representatives, the donor community, and non-profits seeking relevant data to shape educational curriculum, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are represented in the process.

Author

• Stanley Currier, IREX