Key Takeaways from TAGHEER’s Recent Assessments in Afghanistan
Key Takeaways from TAGHEER’s Recent Assessments in Afghanistan
Over the past few months, our team has conducted several insightful assessments and evaluations, addressing critical areas such as women’s economic empowerment, youth competency, and labor market dynamics in Afghanistan. Here are a few major findings and recommendations that we believe are pivotal for advancing socio-economic resilience and development in the country:
Market Dynamics and Key Sectors
Our recent study identified agriculture, healthcare, and IT as high-potential sectors for training and employment. Stakeholders emphasized the need for hands-on training and technical support in areas like food safety, animal health, and IT skills. We believe that building partnerships with educational institutions to offer advanced, tailored training programs can ensure alignment with market needs and boost employment rates.
Women in Business and Their Needs
We found that sectors like textiles, livestock, food processing, and beauty services are top choices for women entrepreneurs, despite challenges in vocational skills training and limited market access. We recommend that establishing training centers with both technical and soft skills and collaborating with local businesses to provide mentorship can empower more women entrepreneurs to sustain and expand their businesses.
Engaging Youth and Their Talent
The assessment revealed that only 34% of youth graduates are employed, with job creation and skills development being critical needs, especially in agriculture. We believe that investments in agricultural value chains and modern training (such as digital marketing) are essential to bridge employment gaps and promote self-sufficiency among Afghan youth.
Supporting MSMEs for Economic Growth can help. Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) remain a cornerstone for job creation but face barriers like access to capital and training. Linking MSMEs with vocational training programs, providing mentorship from experienced business owners, offering them capital, and supporting them for tax exemption up to a certain level can help MSMEs scale up, ultimately benefiting youth and women for jobs.
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