The last couple of years, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been an important component within the Rwandese policy to end poverty. A reform of the TVET sector has been approved in 2008. Therefore, two new bodies have been created within the Ministry of Education: the Workforce Development Authority (WDA) and the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centres (IPRCs). The WDA has to organise the TVET strategy at a national level and the IPRCs have to develop into centres of expertise on a provincial level.
Since the reforms, TVET gets increased attention from the government, the private sector and international donors. The choice to have a joint programma with BTC, APEFE and VVOB was quickly made, since all partners have already been working within the Rwandan TVET sector for years.
School management and leadership are a major challenge in technical and vocational education and training in Rwanda. School management and leadership are described as weak by the government itself. There are no specific qualifications or certifications for school managers. Therefore, effective school management is high on the agenda of the Rwandan government.
There is access to a quality training system, adapted to the needs of the labour market, especially in the Southern province.
Strategic partner
- Ministry of Education (MINEDUC)
Operational partners
- University of Rwanda – College of Education (URCE)
- Workforce Development Authority (WDA)
- Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC)
Other organisations involved
- Belgian Development Agency (BTC)
- APEFE
VVOB and APEFE implement the programme in collaboration with the Belgian development agency, BTC. In this programma, VVOB has four result areas.
- In the first result, VVOB contributes to the capacity development of the WDA, which should implement the policy of the government on TVET. The aim is that the WDA has the capacity to institutionalise the leadership and management in the TVET schools.
- In the second result, VVOB also supports the WDA. In this case it is about providing training and professional development for school principals. Thus aspiring school leaders can be certified as fully fledged school managers.
- In the third result area, VVOB supports the IPRC in the Southern province. The aim is that the IPRC can adequately support resource centres and learning networks for school leaders.
- In the fourth result, finally, VVOB assists the IPRC in its support of TVET schools and their school leaders to set up and manage “production and training units” in activities that can generate an income.
