Armenia: Setting up sector skills development centres
Summary
Armenia: To compete in a global marketplace and improve young people’s prospects, you need a structured approach to vocational training and education that provides the skills to keep industry competitive.
Armenia’s high youth unemployment and a large influx of refugees has highlighted the failings of its vocational education system. Young people were leaving college and failing to find jobs as a result of a mismatch between the skills they had been taught and those required by employers.
A process needed to be put in place make sure the vocational educational system was anticipating the industry’s requirements – especially in the tourism and wine production sectors.
Working with our partners at international development agency, GIZ, we provided consultancy, guidance and coaching to help set up the Tourism and Wine Production Sector Skills Development Centres.
Through three workshops, we brought together employers from the tourism and wine production sectors, public sector representatives and training providers to agree a collaborative approach to setting up the centres.
This included agreeing the centres’ general vision and mission as well as their remit, tools (for assessment and definition of workforce competency requirements), offers (e.g. qualifications, workforce development solutions), partners, and other aspects.
The project has created an essential partnership between employers and government, and established processes for employers to engage with national policy.
This provided a foundation for a vocational education system which reflects Armenia’s economic growth and stability needs.
It also created the framework for a professional and internationally bench-marked approach. Sector Skills Development Centres have now been established for tourism and wine production.
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“The information, guidance and expertise provided by People 1st enabled the Armenian stakeholders to formulate overall role, vision, mission, as well as core remit, coverage, focus of the Sector Skills Development foundations. This provides a solid basis for addressing the VET policy of the country whilst also developing quick business orientated skills solutions.”
Gayane Serobyan
GIZ Programme Expert – TVET and Employment Promotion
