EUROPEAN PROFILES S.A

TITLE OF PROJECT

Support to the Education Sector in Turkmenistan

Country:

Turkmenistan

Project Period:

10/2016-10/2020

Project Value:

€ 4.625.200

No of Staff Provided:

4 Key Experts

Origin of Funding:

EU

Name of Client/ Beneficiary:

European Commission – Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development – EuropeAid, Unit "Geographical Coordination Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf, Regional Programmes Asia"

Description of Project:

The overall objective of the project of which this contract will be a part is as follows: To further support the Government of Turkmenistan in the creation of a modern education system in line with international educational standards.

The purpose of this contract is to contribute to the on-going education reform process by facilitating the introduction of educational standards and adapting professional education programmes to labour market needs.

Results to be achieved by the contractor.

Component 1 – Strategic planning – institutional capacity building

Results:

- The planning, implementation and monitoring capacity of the overall reform of education and professional education is strengthened through better collaboration of relevant stakeholders.

- The existing education strategy is reviewed and adopted and follows international standards. A closer dialogue with the labour environment is established with the creation of sector councils.

Component 2 – Program development - delivery of general and vocational education

Results:

Sub-component 1– General Secondary Education

- The content of general secondary education is revised taking into consideration the European Reference Framework for key competencies and staff, teachers and managers are ready to implement the new content.

Sub-component 2 – Vocational Education

- The qualifications offered in selected sectors of vocational education and for identified job profiles are reviewed on the basis of modern criteria with the support of trained staff, teachers and managers. New curricula are developed in line with the identified qualifications.

Sub-component 3 – School Management

- Maintenance of stable experience exchange between schools is provided through the establishment of a national school community platform. School management capacities are established by enhanced best international management practices.

- The current situation in cooperation between VET schools, local administration and enterprises is analysed and proposals for innovative approaches in an extended cooperation, emphasizing labour market demands, made and implemented.

Services Provided:

• COMPONENT 1: Strategic Planning - Institutional Capacity Building
  Specific objective: To strengthen the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring capacities of national stakeholders. An overall Life Long Learning strategy with the involvement of all relevant counterparts by involvement of general and vocational education will be developed and adopted.
  The VET Action Plan proposal has to be further developed, discussed and made operational. To link the education sector with the labour market, the collaboration between the MoE, MoLCP and respective line ministries will be intensified to support the setting up of Sectoral Councils.
  
  COMPONENT 2: Program Development - Delivery of General and Vocational Education
  Specific Objective: To continue the process of modernization of education through revision and the development of new contents to ensure coherence with the socio-economic needs of Turkmenistan and reflecting international practices. The content of general education will follow the approach of the European Reference Framework for Lifelong Learning.
  
  Sub-component 1 - General Secondary Education
  With regard to general education, the project aims to modernise the system in line with additional key competences as specified by the European Reference Framework, which sets out eight key competences for the education of all individuals in terms of personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment.
  The new key competences addressed by this project will cover: IT, mathematics, learning to learn and entrepreneurship, and will be introduced in general secondary schools selected all over the country. The assistance will focus on the 11th and 12th grade of general secondary education.
  
  Sub-component 2 – Vocational Education
  As for vocational education, the project will continue to give assistance in agriculture, construction and tourism sectors. In the recent pilot sectors the process of identifying new job profiles will be supported. Other priority sectors such as textiles and transport will be involved and a sufficient number of additional pilot schools nominated.
  Changes in terms of restructuring additional job profiles in the new sectors will be carried out. In vocational educational programs the involvement of entrepreneurs in curricula development, practical training, examination and certification will be supported. Special attention will be -placed on assisting in pilot program implementation. The distribution of the pilot programs via NIE and MoE to all VET schools in Turkmenistan will be supported.
  
  Sub-component 3 – School Management – Partnership Improvement
  The project will support the process of exchange of information and experience between regional general and vocational schools and between the VET schools under involvement of European experience with the aim of establishing school networks.
  The extended cooperation between VET schools and business enterprises should lead to coordinated actions for new training standard development and involvement in examination and certification processes. School managers, teachers and regional counterparts should participate in tailor-made capacity building measures.

Name of Partners:

• INTERNATIONALER BUND FREIER TRAGER DER JUGEND (Germany)

• EUROPEAN PROJECTS MANAGEMENT LTD (Latvia)

• PEARSON (UK)