Laos: Deutschland stellt 7,25 Millionen Euro für Ausbildungsprojekt bereit

Germany commits 7.25mil Euro to Lao training project

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network):The German government has committed to provide 7.25 million Euro to extend implementation of the Vocational Education Laos (VELA) project.

The German contribution to the project is provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Phase 2 of the VELA project will be operational until June 2023.

The governments of Laos and Germany on Thursday signed an agreement on the extension of the VELA project, represented by the Director General of the Technical and Vocational Education Department, Ministry of Education and Sports, Nouphanh Outsa, and Deputy Country Director of GIZ Laos, Barbara Schweiger.

Since the start of the second phase in 2019, the VELA project has supported four vocational training colleges and more than 100 partner companies in Vientiane and the provinces of Champassak, Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

The project has seen the development and introduction of 14 Dual-Cooperative Training (DCT) programmes and over 1,200 students undergoing training.

The majority of the students have been able to find employment after completing their training.

Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Germany to Laos, Dr Christina Seeberg-Elverfeldt, stressed that improvements in the quality and relevance of vocational education and training needed to be sustained by systematically involving the private sector in the steering and management of Dual-Cooperative Training.

The Vocational Education Laos project has achieved remarkable success in motivating and engaging enterprises on an individual basis to participate in Dual-Cooperative Training pilot programmes, she said.

"However, to sustain Dual-Cooperative Training to develop the skills young people need to be hired by private companies, the organised private sector needs to assume ownership and take up its role in the training of young people as a partner of the Lao government," Seeberg-Elverfeldt said.

"I therefore welcome the establishment of a DCT-Service Centre for the private sector at the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and the move towards improving coordination mechanisms between the public and private sectors," she added.

Nouphanh welcomed the DCT-approach of the VELA project, which addresses the needs of the labour market in Laos for skilled Technical and Vocational Education and Training graduates.

He stressed that anchoring Dual-Cooperative Training in teacher training programmes at the Vocational Education Development Institute was an important step.

With the support of the VELA project, the four Dual-Cooperative Training Flagship Colleges are able to better respond to the requirements of the Lao labour market, he added.

They can serve as role models for vocational schools in other provinces, while the support to the Vocational Education Development Institute will help to further improve the training of Technical and Vocational Education and Training teachers and to roll out the approach, Nouphanh said.