The Importance of Cooperation with the Employers in Educational Institutions and Colleges has been Highlighted
2018-11-07
Today, the RA Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Hovhannes Hovhannisyan, has met with Ute Vogt, the Head of the “Vocational Education Cooperation in South Caucasus” programme financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Welcoming the guest, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, has extended his gratitude to Ms. Vogt for the support that Germany shows the primary vocational and secondary vocational education development. The Deputy Minister has particularly highlighted the importance of the introduction of the work-based Dual Education system within the framework of the “Private Sector Development and Technical Vocational Education and Training, South Caucasus” (PSD TVET) programme cooperation, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Government. Some VET institutions in Armenia have been experimenting with this system in the second year running. The main purpose of the pilot programme is to provide jobs to the young generation in Armenia based on the experience of the German Dual system by increasing the choice of vocational education and competitiveness in the labor market. Within the framework of the “Vocational Education Cooperation in South Caucasus” programme, the “Business and Vocational Education” foundation has been established, the aim of which is to promote the cooperation between the employers, State Departments and other stakeholders and colleges and educational institutions.
The Deputy Minister of Education and Science has noted that the cooperation with the employers is one of the key issues of the VET system. According to him, there are employers included in all governing boards of educational institutions and colleges, however, in some cases, it does not turn into an effective cooperation. Hovhannes Hovhannisyan has also expressed hope that the introduction of the work-based Dual Education system will promote the improvement of the cooperation with employers. During the meeting, the Head of the Department of Primary (Vocational) and Secondary Vocational Education, Artak Aghbalyan, has informed that the Ministry has developed and introduced a monitoring system which aims to clarify the percentage of the graduates from colleges and educational institutions who managed to find a job in their own profession. It has also been mentioned that since 2017 career centers have been created in educational institutions in order to support the graduates to find a job. The monitoring system will give an opportunity to realize the demand of the labor market and to plan the state order in VET institutions properly. And the website operated in the scope of the programme will provide an additional opportunity to analyze electronically. In this context, the trainings of the teaching professionals and employers, supported by the German party, have been significant.
New programme tendencies, to initiate in 2020, have also been discussed. The Ministry has proposed to continue the cooperation in tourism and agriculture (particularly in the Syunik region), to choose experimental educational institutions within the framework of the programme and to introduce new professions based on the labor market demand.
