On Monday, 29 January a workshop on improving the cooperation between vocational and non-formal education will take place in DVV International’s Regional Office in Vientiane. The workshop will be followed by a Handing Over Ceremony of equipment to the Ministry of Education and Sports. The Ministry will be represented by HE Deputy-Minister Dr Khamphay Sisavanh. From the German side, Ambassador Mr Jens Luetkenherm and DVV International’s Regional Director Mr Uwe Gartenschlaeger will participate.
Lao Government pays high attention to the development of skills education in the country, as vocational skills and competences are considered one key for further development and allowing Lao PDR to leave the status of a least developed country: The economy highly needs well trained specialist to be compatible within the emerging ASEAN Economic Community, and the people need these kind of skills to find jobs and improve their livelihoods. Many development partners support these efforts.
A successful strategy in this sector should combine a modern formal Technical and Vocational Education system with well-equipped TVET schools and trained teachers with a wide range of offers of non-formal trainings. “Many people, including those from rural areas, who are among the most marginalized, are in high demand of these activities” says Mr Gartenschlaeger. This includes trainings of several weeks duration in agricultural skills, construction trades or repairing of small engines. All these skills are meeting high demands and can improve the income, health and livelihood of the people immediately.
For example, DVV International and the German Gesellschaft fuer internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) piloted in the previous year a model to send TVET teacher to remote villages for short-term trainings based on the needs of the villages. A study, conducted in 2017 showed positive impact of these training on the living conditions of the villagers.
The current workshop brings together some 20 experts to reflect on an improvement of the cooperation between vocational and non-formal education. In the case of Laos, it is essential to use the existing resources effectively and provide overlapping to be able to offer as many trainings as possible to the people. The outcomes of this event will feed into the discussions in the Ministry of Education and Sports and within the Development partners.
At the end of the event, DVV international will hand over some equipment to the Department of Non-Formal Education, including training equipment for the Community Learning Center in Naxaythong.