– SDC South Caucasus –

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is Switzerland’s international cooperation agency within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

In Georgia, Swiss Cooperation office (SCO) is very closely cooperating with the relevant line ministries in the development of nationwide VET system. Namely, in 2013 year SCO launched the six years project: Modernization of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) System Related to Agriculture in Georgia. The main purpose of the project is to support the MoES in establishing the functional and market-oriented VET system in agriculture sector, to facilitate the private sector engagement in the VET system and to develop the Work Based Learning (WBL) approach in the VET system. The overall goal of the project is to contribute to the development of a system of high quality vocational training and extension services in  agriculture that may lead to increased incomes and employment of the rural population. This goal hall be achieved through the following three interlinked outcomes:

1. Farmers have access to high quality VET as well as to work-based learning (WBL) opportunities in agriculture, together with enhanced extension
2. Professional and well trained VET teachers, agricultural extension workers and multipliers provide training and extension services to farmers.
3. An institutional set-up is in place that includes public and private stakeholders and ensures the delivery of relevant, efficient and effective training as well as extension services in

Special attention is given to developing  the flexible systems for enabling access to the training and extension services for women and ethnic minorities (e.g. ethnic Azeri and Armenian minorities in Kvemo Kartli with limited Georgian language skills). Direct beneficiaries of the project will be 8 public vocational colleges and 7 municipal information consultancy (extension) centres, as well as other service providers, who will be acting as multipliers of advanced skills for farmers.