Äthiopien: Herausforderungen der kooperativen Ausbildung

Ethiopia: TVET and the challenges of cooperative training

Technical and vocational education and training or TVET is designed to be delivered through work-based learning, often referred to as 'cooperative training'. Obviously, this arrangement demands the collaborative efforts of companies, enterprises and the relevant institutions.

TVET institutions are entrusted with the task of delivering subject-specific or theoretical knowledge that contributes toward the theoretical comprehension of the occupational requirements set.

In addition to their participation in the design and delivery of curricula, enterprises are equally expected to offer practical training through the provision of industrial knowledge, practical skills and work attitudes.

Linkages with industry and practitioner involvement in the scheme are thus conceived as key elements in the development of work-related skills and assessment of trainees’ performance that is undertaken at the end of the cooperative training programme.

So designed, the scheme is planned to achieve the dual purpose of enhancing the quality of training and improving the relevance of TVET to the needs of the job market, thereby facilitating the future employability of graduates.

While current policy directions provide the necessary space for cooperative training, this scheme has not been successful due to the many challenges that continue to affect its implementation.

Not enough industries

Perhaps designed after the German apprenticeship model, the Ethiopian TVET system claims to allocate 70 percent of training time to work-based practical training that should occur at companies and enterprises while 30 percent of the training is supposed to take place at TVET institutions.

Contrary to policy directions, however, the vast majority of students’ time is being spent at TVET institutions.

One major challenge has been the limited number of public and private enterprises available in the country as a result of which the expected amount and level of training cannot be delivered as dictated in policy documents.

With the rising number of trainees that join the TVET sector every year, this situation continues to be a serious concern that could be resolved through a commensurate growth of Ethiopian industries in the future.

The disparity in the size and distribution of industries among urban and rural areas is another related phenomenon that affects the success of the scheme. Ethiopian industries are largely concentrated around big cities. As a result, in many rural areas where TVET is offered, trainees lack access to companies.

This has largely contributed to the challenges TVET institutions experience in implementing cooperative training, and encouraging irregular practices in implementing the scheme.

Companies hesitant to cooperate

The TVET national direction and relevant policies stipulate the need for partner companies to become actively involved in the provision of practical training of trainees.

This suggests the need for companies to assume particular responsibilities such as assigning a training coordinator or supervisor, providing a working place for trainees and allocating the necessary resources during the training period.

At the end of the cooperative training, companies are also expected to evaluate the trainees and send their assessment reports to their institutions.

However, most enterprises lack commitment in actively supporting the scheme and deploying the human and material resources needed. One major reason for this is that companies see little benefit in implementing cooperative training.

Companies often consider the time, resources and materials they spend on cooperative training as unnecessary waste.

They are apprehensive about the possible damage to their machinery, equipment, and materials, and other liabilities they might incur if trainees are injured during the course of cooperative training.

The limited interest companies have toward cooperative training is restricting the level and type of practical training that trainees are receiving.

By implication, this has a negative impact on trainees’ performance in the competency assessments they are expected to undertake at the end of the training period and their readiness for the job market.

Little incentive to spark interest

Policy directions encourage companies and small enterprises to cooperate with TVET institutions in the implementation of cooperative training.

The absence of motivational plans for companies involved in cooperative training has been identified as one of the major reasons for the limited success of the scheme.

Experience shows that little or no effort has been made so far to incentivise companies or enterprises that participate in cooperative training. The same is true for trainees. They expect a modest honorarium during the time they provide their services to companies.

In principle, Ethiopia's national TVET 2008 strategy offers providers the freedom to develop cooperative programmes in accordance with the specific needs and potentials of companies and trainees, as long as the training is focused on the occupational standards and enables trainees to achieve the necessary competencies of a given qualification.

In practice, however, institutions do not exercise this autonomy. As a result, the system continues to follow a single model of cooperative training across all institutions and levels.

It is often argued that possible alternatives such as apprenticeships, internships and traineeships that could have supplemented the system are not recognised and encouraged, indicating the inflexible nature of the cooperative training scheme.

It should be noted that this practice is partly affected by the limited readiness of regulatory organs to allow flexible routes of cooperative training that could help to deal with the existing challenges.

Trainees often not ready

In the delivery of cooperative training, the link between TVET institutions and employers has not often been institutionalised and formalised. This partly explains the various types of reluctance and resistance exhibited by many companies or enterprises to engage in the scheme.

In fact, there has been very little in terms of developing a legally binding framework to guide the roles and responsibilities of TVET institutions and industries and clearly set the lines of accountability on both sides.

Many suggest that this is one of the major bottlenecks to get companies or enterprises on board.

Cooperative training is also affected by the preparation and readiness of trainees that seek practical training at companies.

Deficiencies related to trainees’ attitude, subject matter knowledge and employability skills have often drawn a negative outlook of companies toward the provision of TVET in general, and accommodating trainees at work sites, in particular.

There are times when companies prefer to hire new staff and train them as per their needs rather than provide a temporary platform for novice trainees from TVET institutions.

Coordination, collaboration sorely needed

Ethiopia's national TVET strategy is regarded as an important element of the country’s overall policy framework towards national development and poverty reduction.

The TVET sector is expected to provide a critical workforce that is needed to alleviate the various challenges of skill acquisition and employability, especially at mid-level.

Despite its critical importance, the success of TVET remains limited due to the many challenges the system has been experiencing in many of its manifestations and components.
Given the existing challenges, improvement in the cooperative training system requires addressing the limitations the scheme has been facing over the years.

Lessons drawn from other countries that employ the scheme suggest the need for well-coordinated and collaborative efforts.

It is, thus, imperative to improve motivation and accountability schemes to enhance partnerships between TVET institutions and companies that continue to play a critical role in the successful implementation of cooperative training.

The system should also continue to exhibit dynamism in clearly defining, contextualising and refining the standards and frameworks proposed as the major components of the cooperative training scheme.

• This commentary has been written by Wondwosen Tamrat. He is an associate professor and founding president of St Mary's University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a collaborating scholar of the Programme for Research on Private Higher Education at the State University of New York at Albany, United States, and coordinator of the private higher education sub-cluster of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa.