Assessing the opportunities in technical and vocational education on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua Nicaragua Scoping Mission March 24-April 4, 2014 Conducted by innovATE Program innovATE http://www.oired.vt.edu/innovate/

Scope of Work and Format A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment; Scope of Work and Format

Steps taken Request from USAID Mission Conference calls to develop scoping strategy Draft SOW circulated Background report drafted

Members of the team: Nicole Webster, Penn State (team leader) Nicole Kernaghan, University of Florida Tom Hammett, Virginia Tech Raymon Shange, Tuskegee University Henry Quesada, Virginia Tech Grady Roberts, University of Florida

Vocational/Technical School Meeting Training and Capacity Gaps Youth University Supply Primary School Secondary School University Vocational/Technical School Short-term Education Institution Skills and Jobs Work-force development Inputs Demand Production Harvesting Processing Distribution Value Chain (agriculture)

USAID Missions express interest in ATE Program Flowchart Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education www.oired.vt.edu/innovate Leads to Results in Structured by USAID Missions express interest in ATE Pre-scoping dialogue Scoping activity Plan for ATE innovations Engage InnovATE through Rapid assessment of key ATE factors Guided by Implements ATE projects and activities In-Depth analysis of key ATE factors Key ATE Factors: Curriculum development Faculty capacity Pedagogy and teaching excellence Gender balance and equity Administration and management Outreach Infrastructure (labs, libraries, bandwidth, maintenance, sustainability) Student services (recruitment, retention, mentoring) Educational policy Program Purpose: Strengthening agricultural training and education systems to improve the performance of the agricultural sector Funding InnovATE is supported by a grant from USAID and managed by Virginia Tech’s Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED). This project was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development and the generous support of the American people through USAID Cooperative Agreement No. AID-OAA-L-12-00002 March 18, 2013

Elements of Scoping Mission Methodology InnovATE’s methodological approach included: conducting a situational analysis of the current vocational education and training systems in Nicaragua identifying employment needs and services, especially in vocational education, and determining skill gaps as perceived by both potential employers, and training programs or educational institutions.  

Elements of Scoping Mission Methodology InnovATE’s methodological approach included: conducting a situational analysis of the current vocational education and training systems in Nicaragua identifying employment needs and services, especially in vocational education, and determining skill gaps as perceived by both potential employers, and training programs or educational institutions.  

Vocational Institutions Private sector Government NGO Donor Partners Educational UNA UCA INTA BICU/URACAAN Vocational Institutions INATEC/El Recrero Private sector EcoPlanet Ritter Sport NIMAC AmCham AECID Agrotourism and fishing industry Government MITRAB Kriol Communal Government NGO Global Communities CEDHECA Donor Partners FADCANIC JICA UNDP EU IDB A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment;

What Has Been Accomplished in the Area of Vocational and Technical Training? Training and development Capacity Building Curriculum redesign Certificate programs

A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment; Overview of findings

Educational Institutions Opportunities Weaknesses: Strengths Trainings for certificates in agricultural and related sciences Experiential teaching pedagogy Linkages with private industry Expanding efforts that focus Ecotourism and natural resources Enhance curriculum (language and Culture) Community based and incorporates local culture and diversity Limited private sector relationships Lack of practical training facilitates and resources Short term courses coordinated with private and public sector

Private Sector Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Committed to diversity (gender) High certification and operational standards Preexisting relationship between agribusiness communities Support and development existing pathways for upward mobility of women Development of short courses that compliment these efforts Development of an agribusiness consortium Environmental sustainability Nonexistent or weak relationships with education sector in RAAS region Reliant on foreign experts for training Access to loans and credit Short courses, internships and targeted recruitment efforts Build local capacity of Nicaraguan trainers (TOT model) Trainings for access to loan and credit (UNDP model- support system)

Public Sector Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Existing relationships with universities Community/producer support Diverse technical and educational resources Develop an exchange network for partners to tap into resources Develop producer certification courses for certain crops and techniques Diagnose and target educational and technical material for specific economy and geographic locations Community based and incorporates local culture and diversity Development of youth advisory board – funded and supported by USAID to provide opportunities for strengthen technical and social skills for young adults in the field – would allow for future work as entrepnuers and small business owners who reinvest in their communities, thereby creating a cycle for homegrown producers, suppliers, and educators Limited private sector relationships Export of intellectual and technical knowledge (especially youth adults) Develop private sector short courses Create opportunities for inclusion in development and delivery of trainings, short courses, and related material

Donor Partners Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Existing activities and programs in the field of agriculture Development of curriculum and resources and training materials Strengthen existing activities through regional workshops and staff development training Development of a best practices model and resources guide or manual for future investors/programmers Community based and incorporates local culture and diversity Uncoordinated training and programmatic efforts with other agencies Develop a clearinghouse of material and resources that can be accessed by staff and others working in the area

Commonalities among training programs Programs have a community element and inclination towards culture Experiential based learning (field work) Building technical skills Degree or certificate upon completion

Identified issues among training programs Demand of offered trainings does not meet current social and economic demands Poor infrastructure and facilities in certain areas Limited funds = small class size or availability Geographic limitations A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment;

Connections and Relationships A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment; Connections and Relationships

Current relationship pattern Universities Private sector Public sector Donor partners/NGOs Current relationship pattern

Integration of youth voice and public private sector Vocational and Technical Education Universities Private sector Public sector Donor partners Youth* A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment; Integration of youth voice and public private sector

Preliminary Recommendations A rapid assessment involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups was employed and covered the following four components : An overview of the enabling environment; Preliminary Recommendations

Recommendations Build the capacities of universities and training centers in RAAS Region: Target small and medium-size CBOs and private sector for funding and training investments Expand activities in underserved areas of Bluefields (language, facilities) Make curriculum and training in local languages

Recommendations Partner with existing private sector and donors to build capacity and reach of trainings Include youth representative in activities (inclusivity, continuity, and sustainability Create a university consortium that will assist with training, development, and evaluation of new and current curriculum and training efforts

Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education Photo credit: Gates Foundation

Strengthen full range of programs: Primary and secondary schools Vocational & technical schools Youth Workforce development Higher education institutions

InnovATE Program: Program activities include: Strengthening agricultural training and education systems to improve the performance of the agricultural sector Program activities include: Research on AET capacity building Organizing conferences on AET Developing AET community of practice Raising awareness about AET capacity Needs assessments (scoping) Projects to improve AET

Supporting capacity building includes: AET system development, analytic work Syntheses of lessons learned case studies Investment needs analysis Evaluations System profiles

Completed and ongoing work: Sustainability of agribusiness center (Armenia) Water Saving Agriculture (Jordan) Agriculture policy training (Uganda) Faculty training (South Sudan) Cambodia – beginning in January 2014 Youth, workforce development (Indonesia) Nicaragua – high risk youth

Our findings include: System approach needed - a “pipeline” (youth, high school, then college) Agricultural careers have become less desirable Skills =/= jobs Direct links between food supplies, environmental stewardship and AET Need curricula that include newest technologies AET needs to be demand driven

What we have learned? AET includes: Full range: recruiting, retention, mentoring (career, academic) alumni Developing outreach to link to real life experiences and research opportunities Infrastructure, management, fund raising Policy making and administration Changes happening; some quicker than expected (i.e., conflict) (response/resilience) Gender increasingly addressed Changing demographics in schools, colleges

Thank you for your attention Questions?

Innovation for Agricultural Training and Education Photo credit: Gates Foundation