In the First Workforce Development Conference of Soran University, the President of Sulaimani Polytechnic University (SPU) Said that University Graduates should Become Entrepreneurs for the Labor Market

In the presence of Dr. Abdulfattah Abdulrazzaq, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Halgurd Sheikh Najib, Supervisor of Soran Independent Administration, Dr. Sherwan Sharif Qurtas, President of Soran University and a number of presidents of public and private universities, advisors, general directors, teachers and students, the first day of the first workforce development conference in the Kurdistan Region was held in Soran University. A special panel was devoted for discussing the future of the workforce in Kurdistan: Leading universities in improving curricula and skills in the 21st century, which was moderated by Dr. Karmand Abdullah Hamad, Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Prof. Dr. Hoshyar Abdullah Aziz, President of Sulaimani Polytechnic University; Dr. Sherwan Sharif Qurtas, President of Soran University; Dr. Farhad Qadir, President of Garmian University; Dr. Idris Hadi, President of Tişk University. Several issues related to the level of universities and their role in providing jobs for graduates were presented. In this regard, the president of Sulaimani Polytechnic University said that no program or plan in universities will succeed without considering two points: providing a healthy environment for students in universities which students could feel their presence. The second point is related to university teachers, in which they should convey their academic mission, characteristics are different and having a master’s or doctoral degree is not enough for university them. We need leading teachers to educate our graduates and students. It will not succeed without providing these two points. He mentioned that in the 2023-2024 academic year, 223 departments have admitted less than fifteen students, and there are departments with more academic staff than admitted students, adding that there are many problems in public universities. For these reasons, we must all join hands to overcome and solve the problems facing public universities. He also said that students who graduate from universities have high grades but cannot find jobs in the labor market, which means that there is a problem that needs to be reviewed. Regarding the situation of universities and the number of graduates, he said that more than 40,000 students graduate annually and receive degrees that government cannot employ them, so the solution to this problem is to coordinate with the private sector and companies. They need to revise the curriculum to keep pace with the labor market so that graduates can find jobs after graduation. He pointed out that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in coordination with IREX is implementing this step and we as Sulaimani Polytechnic University will support this step and we will implement it in one of our colleges. Regarding the review of programs, he said that the regional and local environment should be considered, which is a long-term process to achieve our main goal, and it is to find jobs by our graduates.