The Georgian team comprised of the experts from the Ministry of Education, the Quality Enhancement Center, Educational and Scientific Infrastructure Development Agency and VET College in Tsinamdzghvriantkari (Georgia). The delegation was afforded an opportunity to pay a visit to project partners in Middle Frankonia (Bavaria, Germany) and to learn more about the German VET system, VET school management, VET school infrastructure, teaching and learning environment standards and learning places.
The president of the Middle Frankonia District, Dr. Thomas Bauer and the VET school in Ansbach represented by its Director Mr. Werner Kern created a unique and customized programme for the visitors, which included visits to more than 10 additional places ranging from specialized machinery school and inter-company training locations to real farms with milk production and bio gas setups. The most important lesson learnt from Germany is, that compared to Georgia, the private sector is much more involved in the VET system itself and, to some extent, even the major driving force of the VET system.
The study tour was productive and gave a vast opportunity to learn the pros and cons of German VET system as well as to analyze it against the Georgian one. For instance, in Germany 60% of all VET profiles are managed under the so-called dual approach. The dual approach is characterized by a close partnership between the private and public sector, where a contract is signed between an apprentice and a farmer. The latter trains the apprentice and agrees that he/she attends the agricultural VET school for one or two days per week. Under the dual approach an examination takes place at school and on the farm. Noteworthy was that farmers and teachers alike are fully involved in development of the curricula. This is different from a so-called college approach, where education and training is mainly located at the colleges.
The meetings also centered around the prospects of future cooperation, especially on policy level issues. In the wake of discussions, the representative of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia agreed with relevant counterparts that the VET school in Ansbach would provide a technical assistance to VET college in Tsinamdzghvriantkari in developing modular training and work based learning programs. The SDC’s VET project will ensure facilitation of this process and required assistance.
The tour was organized within the frames of the SDC-funded and UNDP-implemented project “Modernisation of the VET and Extension System Related to Agriculture in Georgia”.
