IEA officials call for more vocational training programs ‘to reduce poverty’

In order to fight poverty and reduce unemployment in the country, there is a need to expand vocational training programs, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) deputy minister of labor and social affairs said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 400 young people from an Afghanistan-Korea vocational training center in Kabul, Din Mohammad Haqbin expressed hope that they can boost vocational training in the country with the help of international institutions.

“Projects should be launched to provide vocational training. A bag of flour or a can of oil will not help. One becomes a sponger with it. We don’t want sponges,” Haqbin said.

A number of participants at the ceremony stated that they are ready to cooperate with the Afghanistan-Korea vocational training center in terms of developing skills in the country.

Officials of the training center also emphasized that economic development of the country is not possible without the expansion of vocational training projects.

“Most developed and developing countries are moving rapidly towards vocational training and have used the strategy of vocational training in their plans and policy-making,” said Bashir Zaland, a professor at Afghanistan-Korea vocational training center.