15th TVET & Employment Round-Table in Herat

On Thursday, 28^th Feb, 2021, Department of Labor and Social Affairs/DoLSA with cooperation of Help INGO and Organization for Sustainable Aid in Afghanistan /OSAA organized the 15^th TVET and Employment Round-Table Meeting under the title of “The 15th TVET and Employment Roundtable for sharing the findings of the Marketable Vocations Research in the West Zone” in Women Empowerment and Social Association/WESA Conference Room in Herat province.In this roundtable meeting, representatives from Govt. Dept. including Department of Labor and Social Affairs/DoLSA, Dept. of Commerce and Industry, Afghan Women Chamber of Commerce, Industries (AWCCI) as well as representatives from I/NGO and private sector ،Organization Altaf, NSDP, AHDAA, Herat University (Economy Faculty, ،WVA، WISE، NRC, Help INGO, RSDO, WISE, Marcy core and Women’s Empowerment and Social Association /WESA were attended.At the beginning of the meeting, Mrs. Mehr Mahtab Ahmadi from OSAA, welcomed the participants to the 15^th TVET and Employment Roundtable Meeting.The Meeting officially started by reciting the Holy Quran, after that participants introduced them self.Subsequently, Ms. Parvin Hosseini, Director of organization for sustainable Aid in Afghanistan / OSAA, Talked about aim of the roundtable and the findings of the marketable vocations research and mentioned which this research started in 2016 in Herat province, to find the vocations which have enough demand in Herat market. Later, this research was conducted in 2017 and 2018 to four districts (Guzara; Injil; Zinda Jan and Karkh) and three provinces (Badghis, Farah and Ghor) in a broader and more accurate form. In this research, from 66 vocations 36 Vocation has been chosen, including field research, which done by questionnaires and interviews forms in the field.The findings of this research are presented in four categories, as follow:

Marketable vocations
Semi-marketable vocations
vocations with potential for growth capacity
Saturated vocations

Subsequently according to the agenda; Mr. Naser Mohammadi Popal, OSAA EESC manager, presented the presentation to review the results of the preveiouse marketable vocations research in the years 2016.2017,2018.

In this presentation, a summary of 2016 research; 2017 and 2018 research goals; research methods; Number of interviewees; Research areas; Figures and findings of various vocations in the city and districts; Indicators and graphs obtained from research figures; Number of marketable vocations; Semi-market vocations; Vocations with potential for growth and related vocations in the market briefly presented to the participants.

In the following Mr. Mahbob Timory OSAA Finance officer presented the finding of marketable vocations research for the year 2020 in west zone.

Mr. Timory said: The main focus of this Market study was to know the level of vocational situation according to the population of Herat city, including Injil, Guzara, Robat Sangi, Karkh, Kahsan and Zindajan districts, Badghis, Ghor and Farah districts in order to identify the level of need for primary vocational training. Intermediate, advanced and new vocations that have the potential for growth in the future.

The method of this research was based on descriptive (fact-finding) and analytical (description of why and how); information was collected in the field using questionnaires, interviews and observations.

The sample size was 4,009 people. Trade unions; Institutions operating in the technical and vocational sectors; Vocational; It is mentionable which they collaborated in the analysis of findings and research figures of Herat University, especially the Faculty of Economics.

Subsequently the participants (Govt. Dept., I/NGOs and private sector) discussed on the selected topic of the roundtable and shared their opinions about the findings of research.

At the end of the meeting, Ms. Fatima Tokhi, Director of skills development department of the Department of Labor and Social Affairs (DoLSA), concluded the meeting, by appreciating of OSAA and Help for conducting the research as well as cooperation for conducting the 15^th TVET & Employment Roundtable meeting also thanked from Participants for their active participation to the Roundtable meeting.