Concept Note: School–Community Projects Linking Technical Education and the Productive Sector

This concept note introduces the Relación Colegio-Comunidad (RCC) methodology, developed by VVOB and Ecuador’s Ministry of Education to strengthen the link between technical upper secondary schools and the productive sector. The RCC Projects model fosters collaboration between schools offering technical education and local industries to improve the quality and relevance of learning by providing updated equipment, teacher training, and joint problem-solving.

The publication defines the RCC model’s operational principles, core components, and implementation phases—from planning and negotiation with partners to monitoring and evaluation. It also includes examples of projects in Santo Domingo and Manabí provinces and outlines the Ministry’s plans to scale the approach nationwide. The RCC model promotes competency-based, practice-oriented learning and sustainable partnerships between schools, communities, and enterprises to prepare youth for decent work and entrepreneurship.