oired.vt/innovate/

1. Assessing the opportunities in technical and vocational education on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua Nicaragua Scoping MissionMarch 24-April 4, 2014 Conducted by innovATE Program http://www.oired.vt.edu/innovate/

2. Scope of Work and Format

3. Steps taken • Request from USAID Mission • Conference calls to develop scoping strategy • Draft SOW circulated • Background report drafted

4. Members of the team: • Nicole Webster, Penn State (team leader) • Nicole Kernaghan, University of Florida • Tom Hammett, Virginia Tech • RaymonShange, Tuskegee University • Henry Quesada, Virginia Tech • Grady Roberts, University of Florida

5. Meeting Training and Capacity Gaps • Youth University Supply Primary School Secondary School University Vocational/Technical School Short-term Education Institution Skills and Jobs Work-force development Inputs Demand Distribution Harvesting Processing Production Value Chain (agriculture)

6. Program Flowchart Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education www.oired.vt.edu/innovate • Key ATE Factors: • Curriculum development • Faculty capacity • Pedagogy and teaching excellence • Gender balance and equity • Administration and management • Outreach • Infrastructure (labs, libraries, bandwidth, maintenance, sustainability) • Student services (recruitment, retention, mentoring) • Educational policy USAID Missions express interest in ATE Rapid assessment of key ATE factors In-Depth analysis of key ATE factors Engage InnovATE through Structured by Guided by Plan for ATE innovations Pre-scoping dialogue Scoping activity ATE projects and activities Implements Leads to Results in Program Purpose:Strengthening agricultural training and education systems to improve the performance of the agricultural sector FundingInnovATE is supported by a grant from USAID and managed by Virginia Tech’s Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED). This project was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development and the generous support of the American people through USAID Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-L-12-00002 March 18, 2013

7. Elements of Scoping Mission Methodology InnovATE’s methodological approach included: • conducting a situational analysis of the current vocational education and training systems in Nicaragua • identifying employment needs and services, especially in vocational education, and • determining skill gaps as perceived by both potential employers, and training programs or educational institutions.  

8. Elements of Scoping Mission Methodology InnovATE’s methodological approach included: • conducting a situational analysis of the current vocational education and training systems in Nicaragua • identifying employment needs and services, especially in vocational education, and • determining skill gaps as perceived by both potential employers, and training programs or educational institutions.  

10. What Has Been Accomplished in the Area of Vocational and Technical Training? Training and development Capacity Building Curriculum redesign Certificate programs

11. Overview of findings

12. Strengths Weaknesses: Educational Institutions Opportunities Trainings for certificates in agricultural and related sciences Experiential teaching pedagogy Linkages with private industry Expanding efforts that focus Ecotourism and natural resources Enhance curriculum (language and Culture) Limited private sector relationships Lack of practical training facilitates and resources Short term courses coordinated with private and public sector

13. Strengths Weaknesses Private Sector Opportunities Committed to diversity (gender) High certification and operational standards Preexisting relationship between agribusiness communities Support and development existing pathways for upward mobility of women Development of short courses that compliment these efforts Development of an agribusiness consortium Nonexistent or weak relationships with education sector in RAAS region Reliant on foreign experts for training Access to loans and credit Short courses, internships and targeted recruitment efforts Build local capacity of Nicaraguan trainers (TOT model) Trainings for access to loan and credit (UNDP model- support system)

14. Strengths Weaknesses Public Sector Opportunities Existing relationships with universities Community/producer support Diverse technical and educational resources Develop an exchange network for partners to tap into resources Develop producer certification courses for certain crops and techniques Diagnose and target educational and technical material for specific economy and geographic locations Limited private sector relationships Export of intellectual and technical knowledge (especially youth adults) Develop private sector short courses Create opportunities for inclusion in development and delivery of trainings, short courses, and related material

15. Strengths Weaknesses Donor Partners Opportunities • Existing activities and programs in • the field of agriculture • Development of curriculum and resources • and training materials Strengthen existing activities through regional workshops and staff development training Development of a best practices model and resources guide or manual for future investors/programmers • Uncoordinated training and programmatic efforts with other agencies Develop a clearinghouse of material and resources that can be accessed by staff and others working in the area

16. Commonalities among training programs • Programs have a community element and inclination towards culture • Experiential based learning (field work) • Building technical skills • Degree or certificate upon completion

17. Identified issues among training programs • Demand of offered trainings does not meet current social and economic demands • Poor infrastructure and facilities in certain areas • Limited funds = small class size or availability • Geographic limitations

18. Connections and Relationships

19. Current relationship pattern

20. Integration of youth voice and public private sector

21. Preliminary Recommendations

22. Recommendations • Build the capacities of universities and training centers in RAAS Region: • Target small and medium-size CBOs and private sector for funding and training investments • Expand activities in underserved areas of Bluefields (language, facilities)

23. Recommendations • Partner with existing private sector and donors to build capacity and reach of trainings • Include youth representative in activities (inclusivity, continuity, and sustainability • Create a university consortium that will assist with training, development, and evaluation of new and current curriculum and training efforts

24. Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education Photo credit: Gates Foundation

25. Strengthen full range of programs: • Primary and secondary schools • Vocational & technical schools • Youth • Workforce development • Higher education institutions • Workforce development

26. InnovATE Program: Strengthening agricultural training and education systems to improve the performance of the agricultural sector • Program activities include: • Research on AET capacity building • Organizing conferences on AET • Developing AET community of practice • Raising awareness about AET capacity • Needs assessments (scoping) • Projects to improve AET

27. Supporting capacity building includes: • AET system development, analytic work • Syntheses of lessons learned • case studies • Investment needs analysis • Evaluations • System profiles

28. Completed and ongoing work: • Sustainability of agribusiness center (Armenia) • Water Saving Agriculture (Jordan) • Agriculture policy training (Uganda) • Faculty training (South Sudan) • Cambodia – beginning in January 2014 • Youth, workforce development (Indonesia) • Nicaragua – high risk youth

29. Our findings include: • System approach needed - a “pipeline” (youth, high school, then college) • Agricultural careers have become less desirable • Skills =/= jobs • Direct links between food supplies, environmental stewardship and AET • Need curricula that include newest technologies • AET needs to be demand driven

30. What we have learned? AET includes: • Full range: recruiting, retention, mentoring (career, academic) alumni • Developing outreach to link to real life experiences and research opportunities • Infrastructure, management, fund raising • Policy making and administration • Changes happening; some quicker than expected (i.e., conflict) (response/resilience) • Gender increasingly addressed • Changing demographics in schools, colleges

31. Thank you for your attention Questions?

32. Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education Photo credit: Gates Foundation