Dual vocational education and training for all of Ecuador

Ecuador, with its many natural resources, commands a huge development potential. However, the lack of well-trained qualified professionals impedes the development of infrastructure and the economy. National and international businesses have difficulty in finding qualified personnel.

This is why Rafael Correas' government has set itself an ambitious goal in 2012: it intends the countrywide introduction of the dual vocational education and training system by 2016. To this end, it invests 300 million US dollars; 120,000 young people are to benefit from the programme.

The path was paved by the German School in Quito. Following the initiative of several companies, it established a training centre for commercial occupations as early as in 1989. The students are taught theoretical knowledge and gain practical experience during internships at businesses. After two years, they pass an examination by the German-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce Abroad (AHK Ecuador) and receive a German standard business administration qualification as well as a general university of applied sciences entrance qualification and the Ecuadorian title of "Tecnólogo".

President Correa first came into contact with the dual system during a visit to a German School in 2009. Shortly afterwards, his minister of industry launched enquiries at the German embassy.

In May 2012, the Ministerio de Conocimiento y Talento Humano signed a framework agreement with the AHK, which the embassy helped to draft. "The introduction of the dual vocational education and training system according to the German model throughout Ecuador is a milestone of bilateral relations", says Ambassador Alexander Olbrich. "Ecuador provides an excellent opportunity for supporting and supervising by way of example a process for the introduction of vocational education and training at a national level."

The AHK supports the project by developing vocational education and training programmes and organising the co-operation with businesses. "For us, vocational education and training is a key issue", says Managing Director Oliver Parche. "We take our mandate of export business assistance and vocational education and training export very seriously."

The German federal government has allocated EUR 1.2 million for the AHK's involvement. By now, curricula for eight vocational education and training programmes have been devised. The AHK is to collaborate in the development of more than 40 curricula. The qualification of trainers is of equal importance.

"This will make or break the programme", says Franz Buchty. The retired head of the training centre in Quito now works as an advisor to the responsible ministry and has personally conducted the first trainings. The aim is to qualify a total of 2,500 vocational college teachers and 20,000 tutors.

Important in this context is a public-private partnership initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ). The plan is to introduce the vocational education and training programmes for mechanics, electronics engineers and media technology engineers by the end of 2015 together with the companies Haver & Boecker, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen and Continental.

With 45 apprenticeships, the companies intend to provide training beyond their demand to set a signal in the Ecuadorian business landscape, which as yet is reluctant to make its contribution towards vocational education and training "Made in Germany".