(2010)LEVERAGING APPRENTICESHIPS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNINGAND CAREER GROWTH OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN KABUL,AFGHANISTAN: LESSONS FROM THE AFGHAN SECURE FUTURESPROJECT

摘要

Youth in Afghanistan face difficult circumstances. Economic necessity pushes many into theworkforce regardless of their desire to complete school. Many youth enter the workforce asapprentices in micro and small enterprises (MSEs). While they face challenging work environmentsand limited economic opportunities, the income they earn helps to support their families. This paperdescribes the innovative approach used by an initiative funded by the United States Agency forInternational Development and implemented by FHI360 and the Mennonite Economic DevelopmentAssociates. This initiative, named the Afghan Secure Futures (ASF) project, specifically targetedMSEs within the construction sector employing apprentices. The project supported businessupgrading and improved learning opportunities. We discuss the key findings of using a strategy thatleverages apprenticeships and make observations about how other initiatives could learn from thisexperience. We find that apprenticeships are a sustainable and market-oriented system that can serveas an effective pathway to employment, particularly for more vulnerable children. Careful selection ofsubsectors can maximize project impact in working with apprentices. However, social influences oftenshape apprentices’ pathways to employment and the incentives for hiring apprentices may varyamong firms within a single industry. It is also important to recognize that apprenticeships are oftenunable to address the full range of youth learning needs and that the safety of workplaces is notalways adequate.