Media Room: Media Releases

A difference made

An Australian-run Trade Training School (TTS), soon set to expand, is teaching young Afghan men valuable carpentry skills in Tarin Kowt, southern Afghanistan.

The school, established by the Australian Defence Force’s First Reconstruction Task Force (RTF-1) in 2006, is now run by personnel from the First Mentoring Task Force (MTF-1).

Army tradesman, Corporal Brett Corrigan, said the school is making a tangible difference to the lives of many young Afghan men in Tarin Kowt and is soon set to expand with a portable facility being established in the Chora region.

“The portable facility contains everything we need to set up basic carpentry courses,” Corporal Brett Corrigan said.

“This is my second rotation at the TTS. I was here on RTF-4 and the school has since grown with new wood-working machinery and tool kits for graduates provided by AusAID.

“The end-state for the Chora facility is for local instructors to take over all the teaching of courses to locals, and the instructors we have trained to date now possess a real sense of ownership.”

Since 2006 the TTS has graduated around 200 young men. One of those graduates, who has been with the TTS since its inception, now holds carpentry qualifications similar to that of a 4^th year apprentice in Australia and trainer qualifications in plumbing, and is currently teaching other young Afghans.

“Before, there wasn’t any local work but now it is changing and there are local jobs. The school is good for us and the community benefits from it,” the Afghan instructor said.

“The Australians are doing a great job and there are many people wanting to do the courses to improve their lives.”

The school’s nine Afghan instructors are all graduates of TTS, and many other graduates are now employed by international construction contractors in Tarin Kowt and elsewhere in the province. A number of graduates have also been employed by local construction firms.

A recent graduate of the TTS, now contracted to the Tarin Kowt-based construction firm building the Malalai Girl’s School, said the TTS was of real benefit to the local community.

“I was very happy getting this job. I got it because I graduated from the course. It is good for my family and good for my community,” the graduate said.

Media note: Imagery is available at: http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100312a/index.htm

Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: (02) 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664