Although Afghanistan has seen gains in education, health care provision and economic growth in recent years, most of its people continue to struggle economically. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict, the legacy of the Taliban, and decades of war have left the country with a substantially under-educated and under-trained workforce. Apprenticeships are one of the most common approaches to vocational training in Afghanistan. While valuable for youth skill building, the quality of apprenticeships varies greatly, with some apprenticeships causing youth to forego their formal education, put themselves at risk of physical injury or become stuck in low-wage jobs over the long term. To improve the quality of informal apprenticeships, and thus support the development of a workforce that will more fully contribute to Afghanistan’s economic growth, AED and MEDA are collaborating on the Afghanistan Secure Futures (ASF) project. ASF is one of five initiatives under the AED STRIVE Program exploring effective means of reducing the vulnerability of children and youth through economic strengthening.
ASF operates on the hypothesis that growing businesses offer greater opportunities for apprentices to learn a wider range of marketable skills. By linking small businesses to larger market players, business associations, and financial service providers, the project helps businesses to improve both the quality and quantity of their work by:
- helping small and micro-businesses in the Afghan construction industry access the financial services, skills and information they need to grow their businesses;
- working with business owners to increase their appreciation of workplace safety measures and their awareness of the value of enabling apprentices to remain in school; and
- increasing educational opportunities for apprentices by assisting local organizations in providing supplemental education to apprentices.
Together, these activities provide working youth with a richer apprenticeship experience that increases their current income and future employability, leading to a more secure future for the youth of Afghanistan.
Naseem Akhtar
AED
Global Education Center
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
dhenry@aed.org
Jennifer Denomy
MEDA
Suite I-106, 155 Frobisher Drive
Waterloo, Ontario, N2V 2E1
jdenomy@meda.org
September 2008 to August 2011
