Summary About The Project
The project “Youth Electricity and Plumbing Apprenticeship and Vocational Trainings” was supported by Creative International under the program Agriculture and Livelihoods Stabilization Partnership (ALSP program).
In this project, DOZ addressed the shortage of skilled labor in key services in Raqqa city, Northern Syria by providing vocational trainings and apprenticeships for 40 youth aged 18-35 from both host community and IDPs youth members. The supply of adequate labor force was addressed in two main sectors, namely: 1. home electric repairs and 2. house plumbing installation and repair with 20 participants in each class, for 20 days of vocational training followed by twenty (20) days of apprenticeship.
At the beginning of this program, DOZ ensured the provision of the basic tools for each trainee for the chosen vocational class and apprenticeship so that the trainees could gain practical skills from the training using these tools that were given to the trainees after the completion of the course. During the vocational training, the electricity group trainees was trained on safety in the workplace, technical information, and practical activities on how to do home electric repairs and usage of tools.
Plumbing group trainees was trained on safety in the workplace, house plumbing management, and the usage of tools needed in the plumbing installation process.
Furthermore, DOZ signed MoUs with ten (10) local shops/companies in Raqqa who agreed to provide apprenticeship opportunities to trainees through training under the supervision of a shop owner and specialists/experts. DOZ conducted daily field visits to all the apprenticeship locations to ensure that the experience for both the trainees and trainers is progressing successfully. To assist with the time and resources spent to provide the training by participating shops, small compensation for each trainee was provided to those local shops/companies.
After completing the apprenticeship, DOZ provided two days of business skills training to the 40 youth (20 youth each day), where DOZ trained them on basic business management skills including financial management, marketing, and time management skills.
Since the selected beneficiaries were from poor families, DOZ provided transportation allowance for the trainees during the training period on a weekly basis to ensure their continuous attendance to all 40 days of training.
By implementing this project, DOZ contributed to enhancing employability and skills to build a career and help reduce levels of youth unemployment in Raqqa. Moreover, the project helped young people to seek opportunities for employment so that they can support their households and families.
In the short term, this project made existing jobs more secure and mitigated the challenges associated with the need for skilled workers. In the long term, the project enabled knowledge and technology transfer from experts, increasing productivity, and creating new high-value skilled workforce.
Specific Objectives Achieved Under This Project
- Supported 40 youth by vocational trainings on home electric repairs and Plumbing.
- Provided the basic maintenance tools to the 40 trainees.
- Linked 40 youth to the labor market through apprenticeship and job placement
- Supported 40 youth to get income generation source.
Activities Implemented Under This Project
Opening Ceremony Even
DOZ local team in Raqqa organized the first event of the project “Capacity Building for Youth in Raqqa City” on February 5th, 2020, publicly in DOZ center in Ar-Raqqa city. The event witnessed the participation of locals of targeted geographical areas, IDP’s, local councils’ representatives, local NGO representatives, INGO representatives, and representatives of youth and women led CSO’s in Raqqa.
First Vocational Training On Electricity and Plumbing Maintenance
On February 9, 2020, the vocational training (electricity and plumbing maintenance) started in DOZ Center in Raqqa, as the training targeted 40 young people from the local community and displaced people to Raqqa city between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. The selection process for these young people was based on a set of criteria, including targeting the young people who are breadwinners for their families and people who have different injuries or disabilities but do not affect the ability to carry out the work of these occupations.
Second Vocational Training On House Electricity
This training was in the form of 20 practical sessions for 20 trainees in DOZ Center, the trainee’s received training on basic concepts of electricity and explanation of electrical elements. They also had training sessions on how to extend the main electrical lines of the house and how to install junction boxes for the house extensions, how to extend and connect house lighting, and the mechanism for detecting and fixing faults.
Third Vocational Training on House Plumbing
This training was in the form of 20 practical sessions for 20 trainees in DOZ Center, the training sessions presented identification about plumbing and work sections in installation, maintenance, and extensions. Also, the session included receiving training on the mechanism of plumbing, how to install and connect the main water lines in houses, learn how to make internal extensions for hot and cold water, and how to install the mixer taps and connect it with the shower in the bathrooms.
Apprenticeships
DOZ signed MOUs with (10) local shops/companies in Raqqa to provide apprenticeship to trainees through on-the-job training under the supervision of a skilled shop expert. DOZ conducted daily field visits to all the apprenticeship locations to ensure that the experience for both the trainees and expert trainers is progressing successfully, the apprenticeship started on March 5th lasted for 20 days.
Apprenticeship in Home Electrical Repairs
The apprenticeship enabled 19 trainees on identifying risks and occupational safety and security measures at worksite. They worked with basic tools on household electrical network using (plastic pipes, tubes, preparing the bases of junction boxes, circuit breakers, and installing plastic bases in the walls). They also worked on wiring the electrical wires inside the electrical tubes and connected the switches and electric sockets, and how to replace the broken parts in the houses and solving wrong electrical contact in the electrical circuit.
Apprenticeship in House Plumbing Installation and Repair
The apprenticeship enabled 20 trainees on identifying risks that Plumbing workers may face, occupational safety and security procedures at worksite. They did basic installations of the house water network by using high-pressure plastic pipes using the main accessories for welding and connecting the tubes with each other using the thermostatic device. They learnt about types of plastic tubes that are used in the process of connecting a household water network and its different sizes.
Also, it included the maintenance of the household water network and the change of broken taps and mixers. The trainees also installed latrines and linked them to the sewage system, as they got the practical experience in maintenance work for the pipes that have a water leakage problem and opened the fractured pipes due to the accumulation of water deposits inside them.
Life Skills Training
DOZ provided business skills training to 39 youth online on basic business management skills including financial management, marketing, and time management skills. Doz provided this training online due to Coronavirus movement restrictions.
Closing Ceremony Event
The closing event included congratulating the participants for their fruitful and hardworking efforts during the trainings both in the center and on site. Also, in this event, Doz provided the profession certificates to all participants. Due to Coronavirus spread prevention measures applied by Doz, we put some restrictions on this event such social distancing and provided the certificates to each participant alone to avoid any potential cases of coronavirus spread in the region.
Project Success Stories
One of the youth participants called Abdullateef. H shared his reflection on this project saying: “as a young daily worker with no experience and knowledge I couldn’t have any proficient profession, I suffered from lack work opportunities for youth during conflict. After I benefited from this project apprenticeship and received a Profession Tools’ Kit from DOZ organization for my profession, I believe that I can easily now establish y own workshop or even get a job at the market that will help me and my family with better income”.
Before this apprenticeship with DOZ and as a young person living in Raqqa, I was going out early in the morning without knowing whether I would work today or not, as I went every morning to gathering places for daily workers and we were waiting for any paid work to be done. Sometimes I was loading and unloading food materials from freight cars, or any other daily similar work t gain my daily food for me and my family.
When I heard about this Youth Apprenticeship Program at DOZ in Raqqa, I got registered, and I did my best at the vocational trainings to learn plumbing profession. I learned from them a lot of plumbing skills such as extending the sewage networks and installing the basins, and I also got directly the opportunity to work with this company where DOZ placed me to do my apprenticeship. , The owner of the company and the trainer told me that after completing the training you can complete your work with us without the need for interruption as an employee.
I never expected this opportunity at the beginning when I got registered for this Youth Program. I had a wrong belief that I thought that we would only go to do some classes for several days and I would not benefit from anything.
But in fact, I received a wonderful training in the center of DOZ organization in Raqqa and here in the field and the opportunity to work with this company I can help my father and I can think that I can complete my marriage life with this continuous work and forming my own family”.
Video Journey Through This Project
The End
