The Future of Education
Digital Upskilling among Afghan Entrepreneurs in the Absence of Formal Training Programs
Noorullah Nastoh, Unisfere (India)
Samiullah Qany, Unisfere (Afghanistan)
Rohina Ibrahimi, Unisfere (Afghanistan)
Abstract
This research discusses the way Afghan entrepreneurs construct digital upskilling within contexts that lack conventional training systems, through a mixed-methods approach combining a survey of 83 entrepreneurs with six semi-structured interviews across urban and peri-urban areas. The study concludes that self-taught and informal sources (social media tutorials, peer networks, diasporic advice) are the major sources of digital skills acquisition, trial-and-error learning, and online courses, having statistically significant positive coefficients with business growth indicators. As these developments are achieved, such factors as irregular access to the internet, gendered constraints, cultural factors, language demands, and high costs of digital technologies hinder equal progress. Key qualitative themes document how entrepreneurs use WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook for marketing and customer interaction, and areas of peer learning, and diaspora networks transfer knowledge through unevenly accessible means. Findings are increased online presence, increased client base, revenue diversification, and increased confidence, but entrepreneurs express a need for formalized and accessible training frameworks, context-linked mentorship, and subsidized facilities. The paper is of the view that in fragile contexts, formal training simply is not sufficient; rather, hybrid models that combine informal learning habits and support systems constitute an essential landscape for designing sustainable digital capacity development, fueling inclusive entrepreneurship, and creating social resilience in post-conflict settings.
Keywords: digital upskilling; Afghan entrepreneurs; informal learning; ICT in Education; social inclusion
REFERENCES
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