12 Dec
NEWSARM, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG, NEWSENG

Training on “Team building and time management” for administrative and teaching staff of Stepanavan State Agricultural College

Emphasizing the need for interpersonal skills development among partners, on December 8-9, the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO within the framework of the “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project organized a training on “Team building and time management”.

The purpose of the training was to strengthen the team, working atmosphere and soft skills of administrative and teaching staff of Stepanavan State Agricultural College.

During the training, with the help of theoretical part and games, participants got acquainted with the methods of improving teamwork, communication and cooperation, the principles of time management, methods of defining tasks and priorities.

12 Dec
Uncategorized

“Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project’s steering committee meeting

On December 8, the MAVETA project steering committee meeting was organized by the Swiss Cooperation Office in Armenia (SDC) with the aim of discussing the project’s implemented actions and results.

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

Mr. Werner Thut, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia and equally responsible for Switzerland’s Development Cooperation in Armenia and Araksia Svajyan, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of RA delivered the welcoming speeches.

Mr. Werner Thut, the Deputy Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation for the South Caucasus in his welcoming speech, emphasized the importance of the close cooperation between state structures and the private sector representatives for effective reforms in professional education, also including the agricultural sector.

Mr. Thut also referred to the need for support programs for people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.  “In October, we have launched an internal study on how to support the displaced population. We want to support the government in its efforts to offer these people a decent future life in Armenia”, – noted Mr. Thut.

Mr. Thut was followed by Mrs. Svajyan, who noted that the agricultural sector is one of the priority directions of the Ministry in terms of professional education, therefore the results of the project are important not only from the project point of view, but also for the given sector development.

At the steering committee meeting the challenges encountered during the implementation of the project and how to address the current challenges in a targeted manner were discussed․  During the meeting the planned interventions for 2024 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), and co-funded by the Austrian Development Agency, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of Armenia, the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER), and the Izmirlian Foundation/Vanand Agro CJSC.

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

06 Dec
Uncategorized

Annual meeting of the Stakeholder Dialogue Platform of VET donor organizations

On December 5-6, within the framework of the project “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA), Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO organized the regular annual meeting of the Stakeholder Dialogue Platform of VET donor organizations.

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

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

The aim of the meeting was to discuss the actions aiming to promote the vocational education and training in Armenia.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoESCS), the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Swiss Cooperation Office in Armenia (SDC), UNDP and other local and international institutions.

The conference was opened by the welcoming speeches, delivered by Mr. Mkrtich Ayvazyan, the chairman of Strategic Development Agency NGO, Mr. Werner Thut, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia and equally responsible for Switzerland’s Development Cooperation in Armenia, and Mrs. Armenuhi Poghosyan, the Head of the Department for Preliminary (craftsmanship) and Vocational Education and Training of the MoESCS.

Mr. Ayvazyan in his speech thanked the participants for being present and emphasized the importance of the Platform meetings.

Mr. Thut in his speech, stressed that for a successful reform of professional education in general, including agriculture, a close cooperation between state institutions, a broad array of non-state actors active in the sphere of economy, and the private sector with its thousands of small, medium, and large enterprises, would be absolutely key. “If the stakeholders fail to build and permanently maintain this joint alliance, the entire reform very likely would remain unfinished business at best”, -said Mr. Thut.

He also referred to the need for support programs for people forcibly displaced from Nagorno Karabakh. “In October, we have launched an internal study on how to support the displaced population. We want to support the government in its efforts to offer these people a decent future life in Armenia”,- noted Mr. Thut.

Mr. Thut was followed by the speech of Mrs. Armenuhi Poghosyan, the Head of the Department of Primary (Vocational) and Secondary Vocational Education of the RA MoESCS, who presented the legislative reforms in the field of Vocational Education and Training.

During the meeting, the tools aimed at increasing the visibility and promotion of the VET sector implemented by the RA MoESCS and the communication strategy of the MAVETA project were presented.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the necessary actions for the VET sector promotion, to develop the unique promotion approach and the action plan, defining the potential contribution of each stakeholder.

01 Dec
NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM, NEWSARM

Experience exchange visit of teachers and students of MAVETA project’s partner colleges to ANAU Sisian branch and Sis-Alp company

On November 29-30, within the framework of “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia” (MAVETA) project, implemented by the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, an experience exchange visit for teachers and students of MAVETA partner colleges from Stepanavan, Goris and Yerevan took place to the Sisian branch of ANAU and the SIS-Alp dairy company.

The first part of the visit consisted of theoretical and practical introduction, where participants interactively got acquainted with the process of obtaining the high-quality milk and the technology of making Suluguni cheese. Then the cheese making and a tasting of the prepared cheese was organized in ANAU Sisian branch college laboratory. The college teachers presented also the successful experience and cases of their practical training’s organization.

During the visit to the Sis-Alp dairy factory, the participants were presented with the technological processes from milk collection to the final production process, as well as the specifics of cheese and other types of dairy production.

In the Center of Smart Agriculture in ANAU Sisian Branch the participants got acquainted with the infrastructures of greenhouse farming, horticulture, animal husbandry, fodder production, where the intensive, modern and innovative approaches and technologies are being practiced.

Participants values the importance of such experience exchange visits in terms of their knowledge improvement.

30 Nov
Uncategorized

The second meeting of the National Consultative Group for Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) was held

The second meeting of the National Consultative Group for Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) was held on November 27, 2023.

The aim of the event was to present the project achievements for the reporting period and the upcoming activities.

The representatives of donor and partner organizations, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, local self-governing bodies and public authorities were present.

The meeting was opened with an opening remark from the Director of WWF-Armenia Dr. Karen Manvelyan, followed by welcome speeches from Dr Werner Thut-Shimo, Deputy Head of Mission and Deputy Regional Head of International Cooperation and Mr. Aram Meymaryan, the Deputy Minister of Environment of RA.

Mrs. Alla Ghazaryan from “Strategic Development Agency” (SDA) NGO and Mrs. Naire Yeritsyan from WWF-Armenia reported the progress made and future plans within the two components of LILA project.

Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA) project is funded by the government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by WWF-Armenia in collaboration with SDA NGO.

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