Projects

In a nutshell

The Training for Work project was part of MCC’s Threshold Programme in Guatemala, which aimed to enhance the quality of secondary education to prepare Guatemalans for the job market, reduce opportunities for corruption in customs and tax administration, and attract private investment to support infrastructure development.

The project supported Guatemala’s Ministry of Education in implementing policy and institutional reforms, aiming to provide quality educational opportunities for Guatemala’s youth and facilitate their access to the labour market. It was coordinated by the National Competitiveness Programme (Pronacom), MCC’s executing agency in Guatemala.

The objective was to support the National Central School of Agriculture (Escuela Nacional Central de Agricultura - ENCA), improving the quality of educational services in the area of Farming and Use of Agriculture and Forestry, as well as strengthening the Centre for National Agricultural and Forestry Studies (CENAF).

The project supported the National Central School of Agriculture (ENCA) in curriculum review of two existing study programmes (Perito Agrónomo and Perito Forestal/ Technical secondary level courses on Agronomy and Forestry), using the labour market-oriented competency-based methodology. In addition, it developed a new study programme (Perito Agroindustrial/Technical secondary level course on Agroindsutry), applying the same methodology. The project also designed and implemented an In-Service Teacher Training Programme as well as supported the development of new protocols for accreditation of secondary schools and the certification of graduates.

Inclusive education was promoted as a cross-cutting issue in the planning and execution of all tasks and deliverables, taking into account indigenous groups, gender, differences in rural / urban areas, etc.

Achievements

• GOPA created function working groups/technical tables with private sector representatives on a) agriculture, b) forestry, c) agro-industy
• Developed 3 qualifications and 24 training modules with their respective training modules, using the labour market-oriented competency-based methodology
• Redesigned 2 existing study programmes (Perito Agrónomo y Perito Forestal) and 1 new course (Perito Agroindustrial)
• Elaborated 24 teacher guides for the 3 study programmes 
• Designed and implemented an In-Service Teacher Training Programme, with training, classroom observation and feedback sessions for 150 teachers from ENCA and its network of public schools in Guatemala
• Developed protocols for accreditation of secondary schools and certification of graduates
• Prepared a Plan for the Centre for National Agricultural and Forestry Studies
• Developed and implemented a Communications & Awareness-raising campaign