Project Summary:

Developing Youth Innovation Potential for Accelerated Sustainable Development Project in Belarus is aimed at building youth’s digital skills, modernizing infrastructure of VET facilities, and identifying competencies that will be in high demand on the labor market of tomorrow.

The project will build the capacity of VET teachers and experts to apply modern technologies, identify promising competencies, develop new educational standards, as well as design and deliver educational programs based on them.

The project will use both bottom-up and top-down approaches in developing VET and ensuring a coherent innovation cycle in education. First, it will scale up local competencies at the national level. Second, it will convey expertise and innovative methods of leading institutions to VET teachers and managers at the local level. This will increase the quality of VET and create employment opportunities for young people.

The project will strengthen the national network of VET institutions, whereas the national VET system in Belarus will be its beneficiary. Special attention will be paid to conducting regional competitions among skilled professionals and sending experts to train VET professionals in the regions. Building capacity of regional educational institutions, as well as engaging local experts and youth organizations will significantly expand employment and education opportunities of young people living in small and medium-sized towns and rural areas.

The project will prioritize leveraging national and CIS expertise for stronger sustainability of achieved results.  The project will also support competitions among skilled professionals and develop EAEU and CIS networks of VET institutions. The international network of VET centers of excellence will facilitate both professional and students’ exchanges, advance educational standards based on best regional practices, and integrate the solutions developed through joint initiatives, e.g. international professional skill competitions, in the educational process. As a result, young men and women will be better prepared to work in the EAEU. 

Objectives:

• Identify future skills and promising professions to improve youth employability and ensure job security by anticipating the needs and opportunities on the labor market in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and digital transformation.

• Improve the qualifications of VET teachers and trainers and make use of innovative methods and technologies to developing the VET system that meets the market demand for employees with digital competencies.

• Upgrade VET centers of competencies to create an inclusive and efficient educational environment that enables young people to develop skills and knowledge needed for employment in digitalized industries (mechanical engineering, construction, and agriculture).

• Encourage young people to participate in educational programs preparing for the jobs of the future, drawing on increased teaching and institutional capacity, as well as an international network of VET centers of excellence and leading educational initiatives (eg competition initiatives).

• Engage young people in educational programs for future skills and future-proof professions building on enhanced teaching and institutional capacities, as well as the international network of VET centers of excellence and best educational practices.

Expected results:

• Over 400 VET managers, VET teachers, and pilot sectors’ employers will increase their capacity to develop and implement educational standards
• Over 200 young men and women per year will get access to educational opportunities due to updated educational standards
• Over 400 VET learners will receive training, participate in exchange programs, professional skill competitions and events. 
• Training capacity of the pilot centers of competencies will be increased by more than 20%. 
• Students from 6 national and 10 international VET institutions will benefit from the project activities.