The project - funded by Swiss, Germany and Australia and implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) - was focused on labour market-oriented vocational education and further training, and supported vocational orientation and career guidance counselling through a range of comprehensive activities aimed at improving the employability of Mongolian youth and adults. As a result of the project, 70 percent of TVET graduates in the targeted training programmes were employed within six months of graduation.
Eight competency-based curricula were piloted at partner schools, and five were approved by the MLSP for adoption nationwide. More than 100 textbooks, workbooks and international-standard teacher handbooks were published, and equipment for practical training was provided. In addition, more than 2000 TVET teachers and sector professionals improved their skills through human capacity development training. International development specialists placed at partner TVET schools also worked with teachers to bolster training quality.
To strengthen partnerships between the private sector and TVET institutions, the project supported the establishment of 16 professional boards at partner schools, with representatives from nationally recognised companies. The participating companies held regular dialogues on the skills needs, and provided internship opportunities for students. More than 440 company instructors were trained to help improve the quality of internships. .
The project also supported vocational orientation and counselling, launching a Career Studies master's degree programme at the National University of Mongolia to train students in the much-needed field of career counselling. An integrated career guidance website and a phone application were developed to give young people and their parents, TVET schools and government labour divisions access to comprehensive information on occupations, opportunities in TVET and employment promotion, and interactive advisories targeting career decisions. To further promote the TVET sector to public, the project supported the organisation of the National Skills Competition and the participation of Mongolians in the WorldSkills competition, the worldwide “Olympic games” of vocational training.
At the closing event, development partners and project beneficiaries from TVET schools and the private sector shared their experiences and their achievements. During the closing ceremony, the kick-off of the next project, the Cooperative Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project, was announced.
