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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.

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