160 Mid-level Job Seekers Receive Training Certificates

Nov. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- A group of 160 mid-level jobseekers received their graduation certificates after completing USAID-funded training programs in project management, and business communications and employability skills. These demand driven programs were conducted in Kabul by the private sector training organization Afghanistan Financial Services (AFS), supported by USAID-funded Afghanistan Workforce Development Program (AWDP).

The goal of USAID’s Afghanistan Workforce Development Program  is to increase job placements and wages for 25,000 Afghans through access to quality technical and business education and training, job placement support services, and by facilitating access to credit and business development opportunities. The Program provides grants and technical assistance in major Afghan cities: Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar and Kunduz. It is implemented in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Twenty-six grants have been competitively awarded so far to private institutions for training of 8,500 mid-level jobseekers and current employees in high-demand areas, including project management, financial management, business communications and employability skills, information and communication technologies, women in the private sector, construction and pre-employment services.

Underlining the importance of the Program, Mr. Salem Helali, the AWDP Deputy Director said: “AWDP’s model for short-term trainings based on demand from private sector moves the employment for mid-level Afghans to the center stage. Afghanistan’s private sector needs qualified mid-level officers and managers to thrive and lead the economy of the country.”

A minimum of 25 percent of all AWDP trainees are women. The training providers are committed to ensuring that at least 70 percent of the jobseekers gain employment and current employees receive a promotion or salary increase.

In his appreciation statement, Walid Gulban, one of the graduates said; “This training was very important for my career development, professional ethics and life in general. I learned how to be an effective communicator, a good presenter and an active team member. I no longer have a problem writing a report or a proposal. I want to thank my instructors for their endless support and for making my handicaps my strengths.”