Press Release
Kunar Construction Center Celebrates Fourth Graduating Class
Asadabad, Kunar, Afghanistan
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On May 12, 2009, 116 skilled craftsmen graduated from the Kunar Construction Center. The graduates are the fourth class to complete the Center’s three-month construction skills course, earning certifications in carpentry, electrical work, masonry, painting, plumbing, or rebar placement.
Approximately 250 people attended the graduation, including graduates from Kunar, Nangarhar, and Nuristan; family members; and government and construction company representatives. Keynote speakers at the ceremony included Kunar Governor H.E. Fazllulah Wahidi, USAID representative Tanya Urquieta, and Kunar PRT Commander Murray Tynch.
“The combination of high-quality vocational training and regional reach makes the Kunar Construction Center a model for Afghanistan as a whole,” said Tanya Urquieta in her address at the ceremony. “In putting their training to work, today’s graduates are playing an immediate and active role in the development and reconstruction of their country.”
The Kunar Construction Center has graduated 500 students to date, providing skilled workers to the local construction industry. Following the graduation ceremony, the Center hosted a job fair where the construction companies examined the students’ work and discussed employment opportunities. Center graduates have a high success rate in finding employment in the construction industry, which is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the country.
The Kunar Construction Center was launched on March 13, 2008 and demonstrates the determination and vision of local, provincial, and international communities committed to working together to rebuild Afghanistan. The government and the local community donated the land, the PRT provided the buildings and testing laboratory, and USAID is supporting the management of the Center.