Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States
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MCLS has also introduced the Business and Sustainable Employment Plan known as Takapoo, an
initiative that promotes local businesses and focuses on agricultural and industrial development in
the poorer provinces. Under this project, special committees have been appointed by MCLS in each
province, researching on local manufacturing opportunities and promoting marketing for local
production. All affiliate institutions of MCLS are to participate in the project on a provincial level and
are to provide funding for businesses.121 The project has been implemented in 6 of Iran’s 27
provinces.
Training
The Technical and Vocational Training Organization (TVTO) is affiliated to MCLS. It was founded in
1980, by integrating three technical and human force training bodies – the General Directorate for
Vocational Trainings, the Apprenticeship Fund and the Apprenticeship Society.
TVTO is the main institution in charge of short-term technical and vocational training. It also heads
the special committee on non-formal technical and vocational training with 16 members from
various ministries, organisations; employee and employer associations. TVTO implements its
training programmes through both the public and private sectors. TVTO’s main task is to provide
vocational training and research through 1 to 18 month courses in: permanent centres of the public
sector (600 centres nationwide), mobile training teams (in remote areas), training in prisons,
training in garrisons, training in industries, training in the Instructor Training Centre (ITC) and
private training institutions (14,000 institutions as authorised by TVTO).
TVTO trains the skilled and semi-skilled labour force which is needed by industry, agriculture and
service providers throughout the country, and improves the culture of getting technical skills in the
society. TVTO's target groups are: employees (nearly 21 million nation-wide), university students
and graduates (2.5 million nation-wide), urban and rural jobseekers (around 3 million nation-
wide).122 TVTO's trainings are implemented in Instructor Training Centre (ITC) in Karaj City near
Tehran.
The TVTO also supervises and provides training for maintaining and promoting training standards
for trainees within urban and rural areas. For instance, in the rural areas, TVTO provides three types
of training:
1 Training within local services areas such as training for men and women for tailoring and
making clothes
2 Art and culture-related training programmes such as making handicrafts
3 Training sessions for agricultural, farming and horticultural skills123
TVTO also organises nationwide training sessions for industrial skills, tourism industry, information
technology, IT skills, trade and marketing, public services, art and cultural and agricultural skills.124
All aforementioned training sessions aim to enhance the employability of trainees. Both skilled and
unskilled jobseekers are invited by the TVTO to register for these training sessions in order to
improve chances of getting recruited.
For more people to benefit from training, TVTO and MCLS have put forth a plan to sign pacts with all
ministries, NGOs, and guilds, which are the main sources for creating job opportunities. Other plans
that Iran has in place to promote skills training include:
 Building training institutions in border towns and underdeveloped areas to train the local
workforce in order for them to gain employment with organisations contracted to implement
major projects
121 MCLS, available at accessed 8th January 2015]
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