Robert Sauers/USAID
Minister of Education H.E. Dr. Ghulam Farooq Wardak addresses more than 1,000 Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute graduates at a ceremony in Kabul.
More than 1,000 students from the Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute (ATVI) received diplomas today after successfully completing two years of intensive technical and vocational studies.
As Afghan businesses continue to develop and expand, they require skilled employees in the production and service industries. The USAID-supported ATVI meets this demand by training young women and men in skills needed in the workforce, including business administration, construction, horticulture, vehicle maintenance, and information communications and technology.
“By pursuing your education through ATVI, you have become valuable members of the work force with essential skills that will drive economic development and will contribute to making Afghanistan a much better place,” said USAID Deputy Mission Director Kevin Brownawell to the graduates. He added, “Education is increasingly in high demand in Afghanistan and USAID is committed to working with the Afghan government and organizations like ATVI to increase the educational opportunities available for everyone.”
Robert Sauers/USAID
USAID Deputy Director Kevin Brownawell presents a graduation certificate to one of more than 1,000 Afghanistan Technical Vocational Institute graduates in Kabul.
Following the graduation ceremony, the students attended a career fair with more than 65 organizations participating. The ATVI graduates accessed in-depth information about organizations and met with employers hiring for entry-level, technical, and professional positions. The career fair created a bridge between the newly skilled graduates of ATVI, who were entering the local workforce, and potential employers seeking talented workers.
“Graduates have successfully joined the workforce with more than 70 percent of the ATVI graduates employed in the private, public, and non-governmental organization sectors. Many, I am pleased to announce today, have their own companies, some with booth exhibits in the career fair today,” said Ambassador Sardar Roshan, Executive Director of ATVI.
The number of female graduates has increased from 20 percent two years ago, to 32 percent today, demonstrating the Afghan government's emphasis on equal opportunity and access to education for all Afghans.
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2011.05.22 Press Release ATVI Graduation English
2011.05.22 Press Release ATVI Graduation Dari
2011.05.22 Press Release ATVI Graduation Pashto