Project “Skills Development for Poverty Reduction” Final regional Conference

1. Project “Skills Development for Poverty Reduction”Final regional Conference Bishkek (Almaty, Dushanbe), 04-05/12/2008 Eduarda Castel-Branco

2. Conference objectives • Objectives of the conference: • Share the experience of the 3 pilot projects in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan • Discuss the lessons learnt • Discuss and propose a set of recommendations: to other VET providers, other local communities and to central level (decision and policy makers) • 1st day: the project experience told by the players and beneficiaries • 2nd day: recommendations proposed by you, based on the country specifics + general perspective

3. The project (1) • Objectives: • Low skills deter economic growth • Poverty reduction is an overarching objective in all Central Asia countries and in EU external co-operation policy • Is this objective duly considered in VET policies ? VET reforms? • Can VET schools effectively contribute to reduction of poverty (vulnerability) and what are the necessary conditions? • Project approach: • Initial country studies (2005-2006) • Preparation of pilot project approach (practical cases): mid 2006 • Selection of pilot VET schools (with respective Ministries) • Workshops to define the objectives and design the pilot projects • Launch the preliminary phase of pilot project (preparatory steps): Q IV 2006 • Main activities: 2007 • Consolidation, reflection and conclusions: 2008

4. The project (2) • Project approach: • Capacity and support to change: • Coaching • Training • Learning and sharing: • Common monitoring workshop: May 2007 in Kochkor • Moniroting and policy debates: mid 2007 • Study Trip to Europe: September 2007 • Peer reviews: November 2007 • Reflection and sharing in the countries: • National Conferences: December 2007 • Dissemination workshops: mid 2008 • TV programmes, debates: 2008 • Effectiveness and feedback into practise: independent survey of effectiveness - Q I an II 2008

5. The project (3) • “Learning” project: • Not static: actual inputs and outputs - go beyond original planning • Kyrgyzstan: community interest, combination with financial instruments • Kazakhstan: new status of adult learning in school charter • Tajikistan: school capacity building programme • Capture and analyse lessons from practise • Discuss own experience with other schools and players • Accommodate with institutional changes (management schools) • And others: ???? • Ownership: self-selected and self-designed pilot projects • Influence policy and the VET system: overarching aim • Close participation of representatives of policy makers, relevant Ministries in all activities - dialogue • Discuss the rationale and positive lessons for the system and policy • Sustainability - role of public policy to support it

6. Innovation New role in local community Interactions and partnerships New audience: local population Skills for local needs - defined together with users What skills? Technical+key+entrepreneurship Learners’ potential and wishes Tradition of VET school Departed from local community Stand alone Traditional target groups Supply and top-down driven training profiles What skills? Technical and academic Uniform approach for all learners Challenging subject: is a balance possible? Rural VET schools Poor regions Far from centre

7. SDPR – expected outcome Local users / community VET school Open VET centre Lessons for policy /system Reform training approach At local level Institutional Services Partner-ships Open providers Value Relevance Learning Capacity

8. SDPR – longer term objective +individ/house-hold revenues, - poverty Local centres professional development (LLL) Empower-ment rural population Traditional VET school Flexibility + relevance of training For all local rural population Towards self-governance Closer to local users, economy

9. SDPR involved parts Policy makers: MoE, MoL, Government … ETF Pilot partnership Coach Pilot skills development Project (VET school+partners, representative Ministry)

10. Preliminary findings (1) • « Market of skills »: diversification of training services • VET school open professional learning centre • Learners – centre • Governance (+ school initiative): empowerment to empower - is there capacity (potential) to deal with it? • Functioning partnerships: a difficult wish • No more « training for training » - look at training outcomes and effects on people’s livelihoods • Training: relevance and flexibility vs existing standards • Association with economic levers (ex.: credit) • Funding from budget for adult learning where + needed • Sustainability – centre and local responsibility

11. Preliminary findings (2) • Skills development for povery reduction is about: • Flexible access • Training goes to people (how?) • Efficient but tailored to people and groups needs and potential • Build confidence (integrated set of measures) • Skills for empowerment, initiative • Practical learning, applied knowledge • Individual approach to learners • Indicators and evidence (data) • Traditional VET providers: change or continuity? Is compatibility of various training strategies possible within current school governance rules? • Is this a key alarm signal for traditional VET institutions (schools)? • What are the needed changes? Capacity, management, partnerships

12. Preliminary findings (3) • Tajikistan • VET school human and organisational capacity (manager and teachers, organisation) is crucial - training and more training for the school human resources (capacity building at centre) • Step by step approach • Model for training for rural population that is feasible in terms of cost / benefit (outreach) • Empowerment of « trainers from the people »: solidarity and training • The role of the VET school changed: • Focal point for trainers from the people: very basic skills • Centre for more advanced skills (qualifications) for all (nor only youngsters) • « Our husbands can rely more on our income generation capacities and perhaps this will release them from labour migration» • « From nothing - produce / create something useful/livelihood »

13. Questions in debate in SDPR teams in 2007-08 • What should be the features of a VET that is flexible & open for all (rural) population? • SDPR work in this “non-priority” training area (vulnerable adult population, farmers, unemployed) - can it have impact on mainstream VET? • Transition to such VET - how? Where to start? • Agenda skills development for poverty reduction – is it part of the overall policy agenda of VET reform / modernisation? System vs specific items? • How open is the leading Ministry to support a more open role of VET schools in their communities? • Sustainability: dissemination, adjustment, capacity, funding • What’s new for the future in each of the SDPR pilot schools? (new groups, new skills, new projects with local partners, more strategic role in local development…?)

14. Thank youwww.etf.europa.eu