SRI LANKA: Technical Education Development Project

Project Implementation Progress Technical Education Development Project

(TEDP)L 2197-SRI(SF)

Nelun GunasekeraSocial Development and Gender Officer

ADB SLRMOctober 2010

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

Technical Education Development Project (TEDP) L 2197-SRI (SF)

Basic data:

Loan Amount approved - $20.0 millionTotal cost - $26.7millionProject effective - 19 April 2006Est. Project completion - February 2011

Executing Agency - Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education (MSDVTE)

Targeting classification: General intervention

Sector/Sub-sector Education/Technical education, vocational training, and skills development

Themes: Inclusive social development

Subtheme: Human development

Technical Education Development ProjectProject Impact: Skilled and highly skilled human resources

developed to contribute to economic growth and social development

Project Outcome: Improved access and strengthened capacity of TEVT in technical and technological education to meet labor market needs.

Project Outputs: (i) Strengthening 6 Colleges of Technology (CoTs) to offer technician

education; (ii)Strengthening the Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational and

Technical Education (MSDVTE) and relevant institutions to support a market-responsive technical education and vocational training (TEVT) system

(iii)Establishing the University of Vocational Technology (Univotec), l to offer new degree programs, starting with a Bachelor of Technical Education and a Bachelor of Technology to produce technologists.

Technical Education Development Project (TEDP)

Project Benefits and Beneficiaries: strengthen and expand capacity for technician and technological education. develop training and program standards; upgrade selected Technical Colleges (TCs) to Colleges of Technology (CoTs), strengthen capacity of Technical Education & Vocational Training (TEVT) teachers, trainers, personnel, administrators - to raise quality, relevance, and sustainability of programs for technicians and technologistsdevelop National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) for technicians and technologists – to institutionalize an alternative education and career path in technical and technology education leading to a degree - particularly for school leavers. establish a voluntary national association of TEVT providers and industry sector councils - to increase the market orientation of training programs.


Project Benefits and Beneficiaries contd.:help reduce high unemployment and underemployment among the educated youth, increase access to postsecondary education and training by establishing University of Vocational Technology (Univotec) and CoTs, and by upgrading TCs to CoTs outside Colombo. social marketing and career guidance: • to promote technology-based employment, • increase public awareness of technological career paths• market training programs to women - to attract women

to technician programs including fields that are not traditionally female-oriented

• new degree and diploma programs - as alternative career options to higher education, for those not qualifying for university admission.


Project Benefits and Beneficiaries contd.:MSDVTE’s strengthened capacity for relevant, quality, and efficient TEVT, technician and technological education -will create skilled workers for domestic industries and the foreign labor market.

direct economic benefits:

(i) increased domestic production - with greater use of human capital, reflected in wage increases of graduates employed in domestic industries;

(ii) increased remittances in foreign exchange from graduates employed abroad.


Social Equity and Gender StrategyBackground: Gender issues in TVET sector

- women comprised 37% of total enrolment in Technical Colleges (2003)

- mainly enrolled in commerce and secretarial courses

- women comprise less than 25% of enrolment in technical courses

- high degree of occupational segregation -women and men are generally employed in different sectors of the economy and in different occupations within the same sector (e.g. IT sector)


Ministry Policy for Gender and Social Equity:

To ensure equal access to TVET in enrolment and equal opportunities in technical and vocational education and training without gender or any other social discrimination.


Gender Action Plan:

- recruit a social equity and marketing consultant to develop the GAP and build capacity to address and monitor gender issues in TEVT sector

- the Ministry will develop a policy and plan to create a gender-sensitive environment to encourage women to enroll in trades and technician programmes

- each CoT and UNIVOTEC will appoint a gender coordinator to oversee the gender policy

- [gender]-disaggregated data will be collected and used in reporting

- the PIU with the TVEC, CoTs and UNIVOTEC will analyze project indicators


- Maintain gender-sensitive infrastructure facilities to support female students

- 20% academic staff will be female by 3rd year of implementation

- Gender sensitization training for instructors and lecturers

- Maintain a gender ratio in engineering and trades enrolment at 2004 level of 37%

- Have female members in the Advisory Council

- Address gender in the social marketing strategy and raise awareness of developing a technical career path and promoting female enrolment in TEVT sector

Strategies to address gender in TEDP(i) In the overall social marketing strategy, the gender dimensions of TEVT will be

emphasized. Career guidance components will raise awareness of a technical and technological career path, with a special focus in promoting female enrollment in the TEVT sector.

(ii) Within the first year of project implementation, MSDVTE will develop and approve a policy and an action plan emphasizing the need for a gender-sensitive environment and for women to be encouraged to enroll in trades, technician, and technologist programs. The policy and action plan will address issues such as student selection and allocation criteria, subsidy, and scholarship programs, and awareness-raising activities within the first year of project implementation.

(iii) Each CoT and the university will appoint a gender coordinator to oversee and monitor theimplementation of the gender policy.

(iv) The project implementation unit (PIU), MSDVTE, TVEC, each CoT, and Univotecwill collect project baseline gender-disaggregated data, and, thereafter, regularly collect and maintain gender disaggregated data in its database.

(v) The PIU, in cooperation with TVEC, the CoTs and Univotec will regularly analyze project output and impact indicators, including by gender.

(vi) As new technician programs are introduced, the CoTs will, at minimum, maintain the gender ratio of its 2004 enrollment as a TC (about 37%).

(vii) Each CoT and the university will maintain gender-sensitive infrastructure facilities, which will enhance the learning environment of female students.

(viii) Instructors and lecturers will undertake gender-sensitization training.


Colleges of Technology - Strategic Plan 2009-2013

GOALS:

1. Ensure quality in everything the college does

2. Improved technical education and training

3. Upgrading of staff

4. Strong linkages and partnerships

5. Productive learning and working environment

6. Leadership, Management and Communication

7. Social Equity

- To ensure equitable opportunities for all, irrespective of gender, social or any other barriers without any form of marginalization


Gender and Social Equity Strategies of COTs:Develop Gender and Social Equity Strategies for all 6 Colleges of Technology (CoTs)Develop Training on Social Equity and Gender Mainstreaming in TVET sector:Training Objectives:-To understand the inequalities in the TEVT sector.-To identify the need for gender mainstreaming.-To develop a checklist for gender mainstreaming-To identify interventions for social integration and creating

social justiceDevelop Training Manuals Social Marketing – develop a strategy to achieve social equity and gender goals

TEDP-AchievementsCollege of Technology – Maradana (Colombo)

Gender and Social Equity Strategy

Strategy 1 – Encourage women to enter non-traditional areas of TVET by providing career guidance, counseling and appropriate information for decision-making on training opportunities and careers in order to prevent gender disparities

Main Activities:-Conduct a survey to identify male-dominated jobs in the industry where female participation can be increased-Establish links with organizations which support GAD -Prepare a database on related organizations -Design gap-filling courses for students without entry qualifications for non-traditional courses-Conduct awareness programs on gender and social equity for staff and students-Develop a mechanism to prevent gender and social disparities in the CoT-Strengthen the career guidance and counseling centre-Implement Gender/Social Equity-sensitive student recruitment guidelines for aptitude tests and selection procedures



Strategy 2 – Support programs that enable equal opportunities for the highest possible attainment in learning performance without gender or any other social disparities

Main activities:-Establish language support centre-Launch scholarship/stipend scheme-Provide learning equipment-Arrange support facilities (computers, uniforms etc. at concessionary prices, photocopying, printing facilities)-Link with international organizations for knowledge sharing on special training programs on gender and social equity-Provide funding facilities for colleges-Develop and distribute gender and social equity-sensitive promotional material for TVET sector-Provide G & SE training for academic staff and CGOs.



Strategy 3 – Strengthen and support new initiatives that provide women and men with technical skills that enable them to meet the challenges of an information and technology-intensive, knowledge-based economy.

Strategy 4 – Take initiatives to establish a scheme to provide financial assistance.

Main Activities (Strategy 30:-Conduct G & SE tracer study -Identify new initiatives for G & SE – e.g. programs for the elderly and differently-abled-Provide funds for new initiatives

Main Activities (Strategy 4):-Design new scholarship schemes to provide financial assistance to needy students of vulnerable groups-Link with national scholarship schemes such as Mahapola-Decide on amounts of money to be allocated.

TEDP-AchievementsCollege of Technology – AnuradhapuraGender and Social Equity Programme

Career Guidance Programmes: Awareness programmes for: School students/School leavers/VT Students/Parents/Women (Staff, Housewives)Training of Trainers Programmes for Career Guidance Officers, Training Officers, Skill Development ProfessionalsShort-term Tailor-made Courses (Basic House Wiring/Plumbing/Computer Hardware etc.) Scholarships for low-income studentsDatabase on disabled persons

TEDP-Achievements

College of Technology – Anuradhapura

Student participation at NVQ level

(as at 15 Feb. 2010)

Subject Male Female

- Construction technology 12 11

- Refrigeration & Air-conditioning 26 00

- Farm machinery technology 15 00

TEDP-Achievements

College of Technology - Badulla

Student participation at NVQ level

(as at 15 Feb. 2010)

Subject Male Female

- Construction technology 08 05

- Information Communication

Technology 30 26

TEDP-Training ActivitiesUNIVOTEC -Training of Trainers on Gender & Social Equity(5-day training program)

Target Group – Career Guidance Officers, Training Officers, Skill Development Professionals

Objectives:

- To become thorough with G & SE policies and strategies of the TVET sector

- To be able to prepare training material, plan and organize workshops to deliver G & SE to Training Officers of TVET training providers

- To be able to guide and implement a G & SE programme for other target groups.

Challenges- Lack of awareness on gender issues in TEVT

sector

- Slow progress in establishing CoTs, recruiting personnel, formulating Social Equity and Gender Strategies for each CoT

- No Gender Specialist employed to implement social equity and gender strategy of each CoT, but Career Guidance Officers are responsible for this.

TEDP-Progress

- All 6 CoTs and 2 other Technical colleges have developed Social Equity and Gender Strategies

- Career Guidance Officers have been given training on Social Equity and Gender and are responsible for implementing the SE & G Strategy

- CoTs are implementing the activities identified in their respective SE & G strategies

- Training and awareness programmes have resulted in greater awareness among CoT staff, students and parents on social equity and gender issues.

Thank you

Nelun Gunasekera

Documents

SRI LANKA: Technical Education Development Project