02 Oct
NEWSARM

New private sector partners joined the MAVETA project

On October 1, at the initiated of the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, a meeting was held in Yerevan as part of the “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project. The meeting brought together representatives from the new partner private sector and directors of educational institutions.

Monique Frey, Senior VET Advisor at HEKS/EPER, and Johannes Brunner, Professor at the Bern School of Applied Sciences, were also present at the meeting.

In his welcoming remarks, Mkrtich Ayvazyan, chairman of the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, highlighted that the organization will continue to support the introduction of agricultural professions through a dual educational system, the modernization of training, and the strengthening of the connection between employers and colleges. These efforts aim to train competitive specialists and ensure their employment.

Monique Frey and Johannes Brunner emphasized in their speeches their commitment to continuing the international best practices in the field, sharing Swiss experiences of dual educational system in Armenia, and contributing to the efforts to modernize education and training in agriculture.

Lilit Hovhannisyan, MAVETA project manager, expressed satisfaction that enrollment in the professions introduced by the project for the 2024-2025 academic year has shown significant growth, highlighting the active involvement of new private sector partners in the implementation of dual education.

Directors from partner colleges, including Ara Chobanyan of Stepanavan State Agricultural College, Anna Avalyan of Berd Multipurpose State College, Anna Torozyan (acting director) of Goris State Agricultural College, and Mary Yolyan, head of the educational program at the ANAU Sisian branch, acknowledged the support of the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO in capacity development, the introduction of agricultural professions with a dual educational system, the promotion of employer-college cooperation, as well as teacher training and the technical re-equipping of colleges.

During the meeting, memorandums of understanding were signed between the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO and 28 new private sector partners who joined the MAVETA project recently.

The MAVETA project is funded by a broad coalition of international and local organizations led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), including the Austrian Development Agency, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Armenia, the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) NGO, Izmirlian Foundation, the Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO and Vanand Agro CJSC.

The project’s implementing partners are the GIZ and HEKS/EPER with the involvement of SDA and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL).

27 Sep
Uncategorized

A partnership agreement within the “Digitizing sectors for competitiveness” project

On September 26, a partnership agreement was signed between the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO and the Armenian Tourism Federation within the RECONOMY’s “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” project.

In his speech, Mekhak Apresyan, chairman of the Armenian Tourism Federation, emphasized the long-term cooperation with the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO and the importance of the support shown to the federation.

Mkrtich Ayvazyan, chairman of the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, assured that the organization considers the development of tourism in Armenia as one of the strategic directions and will support the efforts aimed at digitization of the sector.

Then, Mher Sahakyan, “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” project manager and Mekhak Apresyan, chairman of the Armenian Tourism Federation discussed the upcoming tasks and action plan.

The project aims at developing the capacity of the Armenian Tourism Federation to provide non formal education to target groups, particularly women, youth and vulnerable groups, to enhance their competencies on digital products and services in the field of tourism.

As a project outcome, it is expected to have a workforce endowed with digital innovative knowledge in the tourism sector, expanding their employability and income earning opportunities.

RECONOMY is an inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by Helvetas in partnership with the Strategic Development Agency NGO and others in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.

25 Sep
NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM

Theoretical and practical training on “Innovative Approaches to Cultivating Fruit and Nut Orchards”

A five-day theoretical and practical training on “Innovative Approaches to Cultivating Fruit and Nut Orchards” was held within the framework of the “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project on September 16-20.

Among the participants of the training, the relevant professors of Yerevan College and Sisian branch of ANAU, Etchmiadzin Craftsman State School, and orchardists from private sector partner institutions were present.

The five-day training was conducted by agricultural engineer José Luis Yuste Sanchez from Valencia, Spain. During the training he presented to the participants the international experience of innovative approaches to soil preparation, cultivation and irrigation mechanisms.

During the training, field visits were made to walnut, nut and pistachio orchards established in Artamed and Vanand communities of Armavir region, where the expert presented the participants the international experience used in the planning and establishment of orchards, proper care, the importance of pruning and shaping, fertilization and pest, disease management to the participants through a practical training.

 

The MAVETA project is funded by a broad coalition of international and local organizations led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), including the Austrian Development Agency, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Armenia, the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) NGO, Izmirlian Foundation, the Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO and Vanand Agro CJSC.

The project’s implementing partners are the GIZ and HEKS/EPER with the involvement of SDA and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL).

23 Sep
NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG

A meeting within the RECONOMY’s “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” project

Within the RECONOMY’s “Digitizing Sectors for Competitiveness” project, the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO’s team, led by project manager Mher Sahakyan hosted the representatives of cooperating partner HELVETAS and project partner “SKYAGRO” LLC on September 17.

The parties discussed the activities related to the project objectives, as well as systems used for the data collection. Two farmers using SKYAGRO’s services were also present the meeting and emphasized the positive experience with using SKYAGRO’s services in terms of cost efficiency and savings.

RECONOMY is an inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by Helvetas in partnership with the Strategic Development Agency NGO and others in the Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries.

19 Sep
Uncategorized

MAVETA project’s Steering Committee meeting

On September 13, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Armenia organized the third meeting of the “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project Steering Committee with the aim to discuss the implemented activities and results of the project.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and representatives of the organizations implementing and financing the MAVETA project.

Ms. Ursula Läubli, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland to Armenia, and Deputy Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation South Caucasus, Araksya Svajyan, Deputy Minister of the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, as well as Letizia Carnevali, GIZ Armenia, Portfolio Manager gave welcoming speeches.

Ms. Ursula Läubli, noted that close cooperation between state institutions and the private sector is key for effective reforms in professional education, including the agricultural sector.

Ms. Läubli was followed by Lilit Hovhannisyan (SDA), Naira Vardanyan (HEKS) and Aram Babayan (GIZ), who presented the implementation of the past and future activities, challenges, as well as possible solutions within the framework of the project.

Thereafter, during the meeting, the contingency concept for forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh was presented and discussed.

During the third meeting of the Steering Committee, the challenges that occurred during the implementation of the project and the ways to overcome them were discussed, furthermore the project interventions planned for 2025 were presented.

The MAVETA project is funded by a broad coalition of international and local organizations led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), including the Austrian Development Agency, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Armenia, the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) NGO, Izmirlian Foundation, the Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO and Vanand Agro CJSC.

The project’s implementing partners are the GIZ and HEKS/EPER with the involvement of SDA and the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL).

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