On 24th of February, the steering committee meeting of the “Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Agriculture in Armenia (MAVETA) project was held.

During the meeting the activities of each implementing partner were presented, the frequency of steering committee meetings, as well as the progress of the project implementation and the expected results were discussed. which was attended by Arman Khojoyan, deputy minister of economy of RA, Araksia Svajyan, deputy minister of ministry of education, science, culture and sport, Armenuhi Poghosyan, acting as the head of the primary (vocational) and secondary vocational education department, representatives of the donor organizations financing the project and the structures implementing the project.

The meeting started with a greeting from the deputy regional director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in the South Caucasus, Werner Tut, who thanked the attendees for their participation and mentioned the efforts done in the direction of the development and modernization of professional education in the field of agriculture in Armenia: “By developing the dual education system, we will contribute to the gradual development of the country’s economy. Close cooperation between private and VET structures is important in the implementation of dual education,” he said.

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).

On 7-8 of February, within the framework of the “𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚” Project a training was organized on the topic of best practices in livestock management and the features of fodder crop cultivation in the conditions of climate change for the farmers of Sarnakunk, Noravan and Aghitu settlements of Sisian enlarged community.

Vahe Hovhannisyan, the project manager at “Strategic Development Agency” NGO, during the training presented the “𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚” Project’s purpose and principles and the actions to be implemented in the above-mentioned communities.

During the course, the participants gained new knowledge about animal behavior and care, feeding and efficient fodder production.

“𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚” project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by the UN World Food Programme (UN WFP) in partnership with the World Vision Armenia (WVA), Child Development Foundation (CDF) and Strategic Development Agency (SDA).

“Resilience and Economic Recovery of Border Communities in Armenia” Project aims to improve crisis resilience in the border settlements of Vardenis (Gegharkunik), Sisian (Syunik), and Jermuk (Vayots Dzor) communities by providing humanitarian and economic support.