Think Creative - Issue 4

CreativeAssociatesInternational.com | 17 sizes ranging from 18 to 25 early- and mid- career professionals. Financial management is one of the more popular courses. For businesses and nongovernmental orga- nizations to follow a healthy path to growth, they need trained professionals in finance, marketing and project management, among other areas. Demand-driven training builds employment Yari’s class is part of a major innovative initiative by the U.S. Agency for International Development designed to provide practical, business-focused classes for professionals. Called the AfghanistanWorkforce Develop- ment Program, it identified the skills needed by businesses and other organizations in the country. Working with dozens of training cen- ters like Pesco, the program crafted curricula in marketing, project management, finance and other areas to equip workers with these in- demand skills. It prepared instructors like Yari to lead the classes. Upon concluding its seventh and final year, the AfghanistanWorkforce Development Program had provided nearly 38,000 people in seven cities with training that aligns with market demands. The programwas implemented by Creative Associates International. Managers at Reliance Power Co. o utside of Kabul echo Yari’s comments about aligning college education with real world needs and saw the AfghanistanWorkforce Development Program as a solution. Hassan Qambari, a Project Coordinator at Reliance Power, is an electrical engineer with seven years of professional experience at two different companies. Nonetheless, he felt there was a void in the abilities of managers — particularly his own skills. “During this period, I noticed that managerial activities like coordination with the team in the field, as well as other relevant activities, are of greater value for my career compared to tech- nical knowledge of the field,” says Qambari. “I finally realized that the practical work and trainings are of greater importance due to my high-level interest with managerial activities.” Reliance Power’s factory is an example of what Afghanistan hopes for future businesses —modern installations with skilled labor that can turn out electrical panels and other high-demand products that effectively compete with imports. Reliance Power, which has 60 full-time employees and 200 contractors, has room to grow. Reliance Power enrolled Qambari and three others in a project management course offered by a training affiliate of the USAID-supported program. The course had 21 sessions, each one lasting about three hours. Qambari’s supervisor, Ramazan Rahimi, also attended the trainings and said there was a reason why each person was selected for the project management course. “In each department, we needed one guy to be familiar with the techniques so that everybody could understand each other better,” says Rahimi. “That is why we chose three people in three different departments, and myself, for a total of four attendees.” Rahimi says the project management course allowed attendees to understand how to better Opportunities is Creative’s model for demand-driven, competency-based training and job placement. Its goal is to sustainably bridge the gap between demand for skills by the employers and workforce development providers. Creative does this through a four-step process: OPPORTUNITIES Empowering theWorkforce Assess private sector demand for vocational, soft, and job- readiness skills Develop and adapt curriculum to meet the identified needs of the private sector Build local capacity for training design and delivery with local grantees Offer employment- related services to improve job retention and advancement 1 3 2 4 Employees from Reliance Power Co. on the factory floor. Key staff from the company completed an AWDP training to improve project management. A Reliance Power Co. employee perfects the corner of a metal electrical box. Hassan Qambari of Reliance Power Co. at the factory in Kabul.