University of Zakho Participated in the Developing Youth’s Soft Skills for the Workforce Workshop

Published Date: Sunday, 29 November 2015, 00:00

With the vision of providing and equipping our alumnus with the necessary skills that will qualify them to work in the private sector, the Department of English Language and in collaboration with the Career Development Center (CDC) at the University of Zakho and the Career Development Center at the Duhok Polytechnic University organized a two-day workshop entitled Developing Youth’s Soft Skills for the Workforce at the Duhok Polytehnic University (Zirka) campus on November 23-24, 2015 in Duhok.

The workshop was held at the Duhok Polytechnic University, run and directed by Mr. Ivan Hasan Murad and Mr. Sabah Sulaiman Haji from the Department of English Language at the University of Zakho, and was sponsored by IREX, a US-based nonprofit organization committed to international education in academic research, professional training and technical assistance.

On each day, the workshop activities started from 8:30 a.m. and finished at 3:30 p.m. The following are the topics that were covered on the first day:

• Teamwork and Cooperative working, presented by Mr. Ivan H. Murad
• Decision-making skills, presented by Mr. Adnan Y. Hussein
• Job requirements and time management, presented by Ms. Edi S. Kachal
• Leadership skills, presented by Mr. Mahmoud H. Ahmed
• Writing Curriculum Vitae, presented by both Mr. Sabah S. Haji and Mr. Ali M. Qader.

On the second day and in the same manner, the workshop explored the following topics:

• Job interview technics, presented by Mr. Adnan Y. Hussein
• English language communication skills, presented by Mr. Hozan G. Othman
• Problem-solving, presented by Mr. Ivan H. Murad
• How to search for jobs, presented by both Mr. Mahmoud H. Ahmed & Mr. Salih Mustafa
• Writing a personal statement and/or a cover letter, presented by Mr. Sabah S. Haji.

Finally, the workshop ended with some closing remarks made by the workshop directors and certificates were distributed over participants and presenters. Participants were each awarded a certificate of participation and presenters were awarded a certificate of achievement by Prof. Dr. Omar A. M. Al-Habib, Vice-President for Scientific Affairs and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Zakho, Dr. Khairi A. Auso, Dean of the College of Technical Administration at the Duhok Polytechnic University, Mr. Ivan H. Murad, workshop director and coordinator of the Department of English Language at the University of Zakho, Dr. Sattar J. Haji, Director of the Training and Development Center at the University of Zakho, Mr. Sabah S. Haji, workshop director, Mr. Adnan Y. Hussein, Director of the Career and Development Center at the Duhok Polytechnic University, and Ms. Edi S. Kachal, the Director of the Career and Development Center at the University of Zakho.

The aims of this workshop can be summarized into the following:

1. It will help the attendance to improve their general soft skills.
2. The session will direct the attendees to increase their chances of employability.
3. It will also create a channel of communications among the participants regarding their skills awareness.
4. The community will thus have a generation who are well-equipped with professional skills for the workforce.

As directors of the workshop, we would like to sincerely thank IREX for generously sponsoring this project. We would also like to thank the director and staff of the Training and Development Center at the University of Zakho for their cooperation and support in making this workshop successful. Also, special thanks go to all the presenters and directors and staff of both Duhok Polytechnic University CDC and University of Zakho CDC for their fruitful contribution to the workshop activities.