14 Jan
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“Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA)

The large-scale project “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project with the aim to contribute to higher productivity in agriculture, increased income and enhanced (self)-employment in agricultural and related fields through improved knowledge and skills of male and female farmers has commenced in December 2021.

The Project will boost the establishment of work-based learning system in Armenia which assumes that along with receiving theoretical knowledge at vocational education collages, the students will get an opportunity to improve their skills in local companies and farms one of which is the largest private company of the nuts/almond production sector in Armenia – the Vanand CJSC.

The Project is implemented by Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO in partnership with the organization Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER), the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences of the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL)  and the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) being financed by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and with a range of other funding partners including German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Armenian Izmirlian Foundation as well as HEKS/EPER and SDA NGO.

With a preparatory phase of 9 months, the main phase of implementation will last for 8 years being executed in the Southern Syunik, Vayots Dzor and two other Northern regions of Armenia.

14 Jul
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“Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” project

The “Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia” project was launched on April 15, 2021.

The project is a part of a larger regional program Eco-Corridor Fund for the Caucasus (ECF), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the KfW Development Bank. In Armenia, the project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and implemented by the WWF Caucasus in Armenia (WWF-Armenia) in partnership with Strategic Development Agency NGO.

The project aims to improve the incomes of farmers and rural businesses in remote areas and livelihoods of the rural population thanks to better economic and more sustainable use and management of local natural resources (development and use of non-wood products, berries, edible plants, and herbs collection, processing, and production, livestock, tourism, etc.). As an effort to link economic growth and the protection of natural resources and biodiversity, it also contributes to design socially sensitive environments and climate-related policies.

The project will be implemented in the Tavush, Lori, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor marzes of Armenia.

07 Jul
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“Promoting partnerships for effective work-based learning opportunities in VET”

“Strategic Development Agency” (SDA) NGO implements EU funded project on piloting the work-based learning model in agricultural vocational education and training (VET) in Syunik and Lori marzes of Armenia.

The project supports Goris and Stepanavan State Agricultural Colleges in strengthening the partnership with private sector by adopting work-based learning (WBL) in Veterinarian and Milk Technologist professions.

The project contributes to the establishment of a sustainable system of vocational education, which is tightly linked to the demand of the labour market. It also creates a replicable model and the respective competency for implementing work-based learning education in other VET institutions of Armenia.

The project’s focus is on developing the capacities of selected VET colleges (Goris and Stepanavan State Agricultural Colleges) and companies/employers in Syunik and Lori marzes through their involvement in the selected professions curricula revision and capacity development trainings to ensure the provision of a comprehensive work-based learning model in professional education.

 

06 Jul
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“Livestock Development in Armenia: South-North”

The “Livestock Development in Armenia: South-North” Project is implemented by “Strategic Development Agency” NGO and financed by the Austrian Development Agency, the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The Project targets households involved in cattle breeding, actors of milk and meat value chains and Local Self-Governing Bodies of 88 rural settlements, with over 85,000 habitants, of Shirak, Lori, Tavush and Gegharkunik marzes. The partners of the 3 year duration Project are RA Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Administrations of Shirak, Lori, Tavush and Gegharkunik marzes, as well as Local Self-Governing Bodies.

This Project was developed taking into consideration achieved results of the livestock development projects implemented for the previous 10 years in Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Tavush and Gegharkunik marzes and gained expertise of “Strategic Development Agency” NGO.

In the frame of Project investments plans with milk processing companies are being developed and implemented which undertakes provision of new production equipment as well as capacity building consultation throughout the cooperation period. As a result of the Project intervention processors enhance their production line, increase sales volumes and integrate more farmers as suppliers.     

The Project long-term goal is to contribute to inclusive and sustainable agricultural growth of livestock-dependant rural communities in Northern marzes of Armenia through facilitation of private sector and activation of the Armenian-Georgian economic relations.

05 Jul
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“VET Development in Syunik Marz”

“Strategic Development Agency ” (SDA) NGO in partnership with the Swiss organizations HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid) and HAFL (the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences of the Bern University of Applied Sciences) implements a project in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in agriculture in the marz of Syunik in Armenia.

The project offers an opportunity to the Goris Agricultural College and Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) Sisian branch (which are the only agricultural institutions in Syunik marz) to develop a practice-oriented VET in the specialties of Animal Health Technologist (AHT) and Milk Technologist (MT) adapted to the local context of Syunik marz in Armenia.

The project contributes to the development of vocational education and advisory services in agriculture by putting in practice innovative approaches and creates a more adapted market-oriented practical education in the field of veterinary, milk processing and delivery of advisory services to farmers.

The project’s focus is on developing the capacities of selected VET colleges (ANAU Sisian branch and Goris Agricultural College) and strengthening the links between VET schools and private sector to provide competence and activity-oriented practical education.

 

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