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14, Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Tel: +374 10 56 60 73 + 121
Mob: +374 91 43 63 12
Fax: +374 10 54 38 11
URL: http://www.undp.am
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Aramazd Ghalamkaryan
E-mail: [email protected]
UNDP and partners join resources to fill the gap between the current job
market requirements and lack of vocational skills among young people in
Armenia
/During her first official visit to the region, the newly appointed UNDP
regional director signs a memorandum with the Government of Armenia/*//*
February 26, 2007, Yerevan, Armenia - Today, in the framework of her
first official visit to Armenia and the region, Ms. Kori Udovicki, UN
assistant secretary-general, UN Development Programme (UNDP) director of
the regional bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Education and
Science of Armenia and the Centre of Educational Projects executing
Armenia Education Quality and Relevance Project funded by the World Bank.
The parties to the memorandum agreed to support the ongoing reforms
aimed at integration of preliminary professional (vocational) education
into the high school system and in this regard to coordinate and
complement each other's efforts. With their signatures, Minister Levon
Lazarian, Mrs. Udovicki and Mrs. Harutyunyan, Director of the Center of
Educational Projects launched a project that was the logical
continuation of UNDP's continuous efforts in the field of education in
Armenia.
In 2006, a UNDP project on modernization of vocational education and
training sector started, funded by the Norwegian Government. There are
two basic components - provision of proper physical conditions for the
educational process and assurance of sustainability of vocational education.
Minister Lazarian noted that without reforms and without a highly
trained and skillful workforce, the country's economic viability over
the medium and long term is jeopardised.
"We highly appreciate the current effective cooperation to modernize the
vocational education and training system in Armenia. This project is
fully in line with the country's reform agenda and we are hopeful that
the fruitful collaboration with UNDP and the World Bank will continue in
future as well." - mentioned Mr. Lazarian.
Within the framework of this MOU, educational institutions will be
upgraded, necessary equipment for educational process will be purchased.
Importantly, basic normative regulations and educational standards will
be developed, competence-based qualification standards will be drafted,
new and modernized curricula and text books will be elaborated, and the
importance of vocational education will be promoted among youth in
particular.
In addition, college level faculty staff will undergo training on
pedagogy and new forms of college management; complementary adult
education will be introduced which will increase employability of the
currently unemployed people.
Currently UNDP Armenia is in the process of finalization of the national
human development report on education (2006-2007), which is another
important contribution of UNDP into this sector. The report is fully
focused on education issues as fundamental for human capital development
and integration into the developed world. The objective of the Report is
to initiate a nation-wide debate on education in Armenia and to promote
broad public participation and civic engagement in public policy making.
Ms. Consuelo Vidal, head of UN and UNDP in Armenia, noted in her
welcoming speech: "We strongly believe that building human capital,
particularly through education, is key for Armenia's development. We are
confident that the 2006 national human development report fully
dedicated to education will become an important advocacy tool and
knowledge asset for both policy-makers and public to highlight and
address development needs in education, and will serve as basis for
public and expert debates on the crucial issues of education in Armenia." **
/Background information: /During her first mission to Armenia, Ms.
Udovicki got acquainted with UNDP activities in Armenia and discussed
UNDP strategy with senior government officials, international
organizations, diplomatic missions, private sector and the civil
society. She also met with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the
Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss national development priorities
and ongoing and future cooperation with UNDP. After completion of her
visit to Armenia on February 27, Ms. Udovicki will visit Georgia and
Azerbaijan.
Before joining UNDP as a Regional Bureau Director, Ms. Udovicki (Serbia)
has served as Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. Before that she
was the country's Minister of Energy and Mines. She holds a PhD and a
Master's Degree in Economics from Yale University as well as a
Bachelor's Degree from Belgrade University. Ms. Udovicki speaks Serbian,
Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.
* * *
/For additional information please contact Mr. Aramazd Ghalamkaryan,
tel.: (+37410) 566 073 ext. 121, (+37491) 436 312, e-mail:
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.///
Tel: +374 10 56 60 73 + 121
Mob: +374 91 43 63 12
Fax: +374 10 54 38 11
URL: http://www.undp.am
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Aramazd Ghalamkaryan
E-mail: [email protected]
UNDP and partners join resources to fill the gap between the current job
market requirements and lack of vocational skills among young people in
Armenia
/During her first official visit to the region, the newly appointed UNDP
regional director signs a memorandum with the Government of Armenia/*//*
February 26, 2007, Yerevan, Armenia - Today, in the framework of her
first official visit to Armenia and the region, Ms. Kori Udovicki, UN
assistant secretary-general, UN Development Programme (UNDP) director of
the regional bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Education and
Science of Armenia and the Centre of Educational Projects executing
Armenia Education Quality and Relevance Project funded by the World Bank.
The parties to the memorandum agreed to support the ongoing reforms
aimed at integration of preliminary professional (vocational) education
into the high school system and in this regard to coordinate and
complement each other's efforts. With their signatures, Minister Levon
Lazarian, Mrs. Udovicki and Mrs. Harutyunyan, Director of the Center of
Educational Projects launched a project that was the logical
continuation of UNDP's continuous efforts in the field of education in
Armenia.
In 2006, a UNDP project on modernization of vocational education and
training sector started, funded by the Norwegian Government. There are
two basic components - provision of proper physical conditions for the
educational process and assurance of sustainability of vocational education.
Minister Lazarian noted that without reforms and without a highly
trained and skillful workforce, the country's economic viability over
the medium and long term is jeopardised.
"We highly appreciate the current effective cooperation to modernize the
vocational education and training system in Armenia. This project is
fully in line with the country's reform agenda and we are hopeful that
the fruitful collaboration with UNDP and the World Bank will continue in
future as well." - mentioned Mr. Lazarian.
Within the framework of this MOU, educational institutions will be
upgraded, necessary equipment for educational process will be purchased.
Importantly, basic normative regulations and educational standards will
be developed, competence-based qualification standards will be drafted,
new and modernized curricula and text books will be elaborated, and the
importance of vocational education will be promoted among youth in
particular.
In addition, college level faculty staff will undergo training on
pedagogy and new forms of college management; complementary adult
education will be introduced which will increase employability of the
currently unemployed people.
Currently UNDP Armenia is in the process of finalization of the national
human development report on education (2006-2007), which is another
important contribution of UNDP into this sector. The report is fully
focused on education issues as fundamental for human capital development
and integration into the developed world. The objective of the Report is
to initiate a nation-wide debate on education in Armenia and to promote
broad public participation and civic engagement in public policy making.
Ms. Consuelo Vidal, head of UN and UNDP in Armenia, noted in her
welcoming speech: "We strongly believe that building human capital,
particularly through education, is key for Armenia's development. We are
confident that the 2006 national human development report fully
dedicated to education will become an important advocacy tool and
knowledge asset for both policy-makers and public to highlight and
address development needs in education, and will serve as basis for
public and expert debates on the crucial issues of education in Armenia." **
/Background information: /During her first mission to Armenia, Ms.
Udovicki got acquainted with UNDP activities in Armenia and discussed
UNDP strategy with senior government officials, international
organizations, diplomatic missions, private sector and the civil
society. She also met with the Prime Minister of Armenia and the
Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss national development priorities
and ongoing and future cooperation with UNDP. After completion of her
visit to Armenia on February 27, Ms. Udovicki will visit Georgia and
Azerbaijan.
Before joining UNDP as a Regional Bureau Director, Ms. Udovicki (Serbia)
has served as Governor of the National Bank of Serbia. Before that she
was the country's Minister of Energy and Mines. She holds a PhD and a
Master's Degree in Economics from Yale University as well as a
Bachelor's Degree from Belgrade University. Ms. Udovicki speaks Serbian,
Spanish, French, Portuguese and English.
* * *
/For additional information please contact Mr. Aramazd Ghalamkaryan,
tel.: (+37410) 566 073 ext. 121, (+37491) 436 312, e-mail:
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.///