Business Skills Training

USAID funds school bags for all Iraqi secondary students Baghdad, Iraq Business Skills Training In July 2004, USAID awarded a grant to the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), a consortium of 14 American non-governmental organizations, to develop business skills in Iraq through partnerships with a series of regional business centers. The grant provides up to $12.3 million in funding over a 15 month period. The program promotes the expansion of a competitive and efficient private sector in post-war Iraq through training, technical assistance, consulting, and business entrepreneurship services to business training centers, and start-up businesses, and executives in target industries. Specific services include business basics training, business plan development, in-house mentoring and consulting, access to business and market information, access to public-use computers and communications equipment. The regional business centers - four in Baghdad, and one each in Basrah, Erbil and Sulimaniyah - are acting as focal points for these training and outreach efforts across the country. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Trained and placed 17 Iraqi business case managers in local business service providers in four Baghdad locations (Al Rashid, Sadr City, Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Basrah, Erbil, and Sulmaniyah. Trained 169 business leaders and entrepreneurs in business principles. Awarded 125 business development grants worth $759,752. Designed business training courses to be implemented through partner business centers. To prepare for these activities, a broad survey of the Iraqi economy is being used to identify the sectors in which training would be most beneficial. NEXT STEPS USAID will expand VEGA's business development grant program for a total of $3 million in business development grants. USAID will increase the capacity of the 17 case managers to deliver business services after the program's completion.