Workforce Development in Afghanistan: Capacity Building for Women and Men
By Sayed Aziz Azimi
March, 2011
Our recent award by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for “Contractor of the Year” in Capacity Building in Afghanistan is testimony to Ti’s firm commitment to creating and sustaining a strong, well-trained workforce in the places we operate. The future of Afghanistan rests on the creation of an educated and skilled workforce, both women and men. Afghan society at large benefits by access to higher quality goods and services.
Ti’s training covers an array of disciplines focused on enhancing the employability of Afghan women and men. Our training is tailored to specific needs along with continuing education programs designed to keep workers abreast of innovations in their respective fields.
We design training programs for Afghan professionals to earn internationally-recognized certification and/or licensing, which validates their skills and knowledge, enhances their professionalism and acknowledges their competence. Our programs make Afghan workers more competitive, self-confident, and attractive to potential international and domestic employers. Recognized certification and licensing can ensure bright futures for Afghans, helping them compete in a globalized economy by gaining a competitive edge in the job market as well as prestige among their peers.
Modernizing and professionalizing the Afghan workforce will lead to increased international competitiveness. Ti’s training includes a broad range of skill-building in engineering practice, construction management, information and communications technology, environmental protection, etc. We attract and retain the best employees by leveraging local community networks to access talented tradesmen, to provide needed personnel and to support the construction industry—which promises to be the most robust sector in Afghanistan’s rebuilding process for years to come.
Ti recognizes that robust management training is critical to Afghanistan’s future. Our record speaks for itself. Over 95 percent of the people working on our projects in Afghanistan are Afghans. Our Mentor-Protégé Program focuses on training of Afghans in Western best practices. We present our workers with the double challenge of both using their skills to ongoing activities contributing to their nation’s future and at the same time preparing themselves to meet future market demands. Thus, our approach to capacity building encourages our workers to constantly upgrade their skills and improve their employability. We work with our graduates in job placements within our organization and externally with allied companies and our subcontractors within the industry.
Our experience demonstrates that the economic benefits of our projects go beyond the scope of the tasks at hand, influencing the lives of thousands of Afghans. We support small local businesses that provide economically viable products and services. We provide startup funding for entrepreneurial individuals and teams, supporting Afghanistan’s path to self-sufficiency. By training Afghan women and men in business operations, finance, management, marketing, etc., our Capacity Development Division in Kabul, headed by one of Ti’s female executives, is helping Afghanistan to become competitive and to develop as a regional commercial hub. As with enhanced education and stronger institutions, the expansion of sustainable commerce will contribute to Afghanistan’s long-term stability, democracy and prosperity.