PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan, British and U.S. officials opened a new vocational training facility at the detention facility in Parwan here July 13, 2011.

Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435 Afghan Commander Maj. Gen. Marjan Shuja, British Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan and Charge d’Affairs Catherine Royle, U.S. Coordinating Director for Rule of Law and Law Enforcement Ambassador Hans Klemm, Afghan National Army Corrections Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Safiullah Safi, CJIATF 435 Acting Commander U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, and U.S. Task Force Protector Commander Brig. Gen. Charles Petrarca cut a ceremonial ribbon that officially opened the 15,000-square-foot, British-built and equipped training facility.

The vocational training facility staff will instruct detainees to a basic apprenticeship level in skills such as carpentry, plumbing, masonry, welding and electricity, with the overall objective to give the detainees marketable trade skills. These skills will provide income opportunities when detainees are identified for release and rejoin their communities as peaceful and productive members.

Once the vocational training facility is operating at full capacity, up to 120 detainees will go through the training program every two months. An Afghan-owned company will provide the training and the company will have a job placement coordinator to help match up released detainees with local companies in need of the new skills they learned.

Royle said unemployment is a challenge for anyone released from detention regardless of country and the British want to help give detainees skills when returning to their villages.

“We need to offer [the detainees] a future,” said Royle.
“Reintegration is all about rebuilding the community. This is a sustainable project that will play a role in transition.”

The facility was dedicated in memory of Barakatullah Shuja, the late son of Marjan. Royle said she hopes Baraktullah’s example resonates with detainees as they see his name on the facility.

“I hope this facility represents for them what it does for us—a step toward a better future,” Royle said.

Klemm, who serves at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, said the vital vocational skills will help to reduce violence as detainees transition back to their villages by providing them a viable option to the insurgency.

“We want to reaffirm all individuals can learn a skill to provide for their families and become productive members of their society,” Klemm said. “We are committed to the reintegration process.”

Marjan, who was presented a plaque honoring his son, said reintegrating fighters is essential for giving former detainees a skill set.

“This is a very big help because they will learn a profession,” Marjan said. “This was named after my late son, who was working with the military and lost his life helping to rebuild our country. This place is for the detainees because the Afghan government wants this facility to teach them a profession.”

The facility is scheduled to begin classes Sept. 1.

The DFIP reintegration program is run by Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435. CJIATF-435, in partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and U.S. interagency and international partners, conducts operations in detention, corrections, the judicial sector and biometrics. CJIATF-435 is conducting a conditions-based transition of detention operations to Afghan control while promoting Rule of Law.