The February 5 event ushered in a new public vision of vocational occupations in Mongolia, challenging the widespread perception that females were not fit in such heavy industries as mining and construction. 

According to Tuv Azza LLC Human Resource Manager G.Altantuya, as reported in the UB Post newspaper, heavy industries were interested in hiring females, particularly in the fields of engineering and security. “Women can be very successful once they chose these majors,” she said.

Advisor to the Minister of Labour, Ts. Nyamsuren, also quoted in the UB Post, said the ministry was making changes in relevant policies and laws to enable women to undertake positions in technical fields.

A total of 80 girls took part in the “Girls’ Day” event, where they received information about Mongolia’s vocational education, the specifics of different technical professions and current career opportunities.

They also took part in workshops, using tools and practising their skills under the guidance of teachers in the fields of carpentry, bricklaying, house-painting, electrical engineering and geodesy.

More than 15 Mongolian companies representing the mining, construction, food, hospitality, and trade and commerce sectors provided information on their particular areas of specialisation.  

Thanks to the success of the first “Girls’ Day” – organised in cooperation with the Institute of Engineering Technology, the GIZ Cooperative Vocational Training (CVT) Project will support more vocational schools in organising similar activities throughout 2015, with the aim of making “Girls’ Day” an annual event in Mongolia.

GIZ’s CVT Project is co-financed by German Government, SDC and the Australian government and is aimed at reforming Mongolia’s vocational education sector.

Supporting in-company instructor training is an integral part of SDC’s Vocational Skills Development (VSD) Project, with trainings already held in Ulaanbaatar and Khovd and Govi-Altai aimags.

At a training currently being held in Bayankhongor aimag, participant Мr. Batnasan, an engineer with the Galkhongor Company, said: “During the training, it was nice to work together with the students, who come to our company to gain practical skills. The training has four phases, and in each phase there is something new for me.”

The VSD Project is planning to expand the scope of the trainings to cover more schools and companies in Mongolia. In addition, the Mongolian Employers' Federation is supporting the adoption of a nationally recognised regulation for the qualification of in-company instructors in cooperation with the project.

The VSD Project is a multi-donor project being implemented by GIZ (German’s Technical Cooperation) in partnership with Mongolia’s Ministry of Labour, with funding from the governments of Switzerland, Germany and Australia.