Kenya Since 2017, Durham College has participated in eight projects with Kenyan Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and associations. Each project partnership has resulted in significant impacts and changes in institution leadership, teacher training, industry partnerships, enrollment, inclusion, and student success. As part of our projects, Durham College faculty, staff, and academic leaders have provided training on TVET leadership development, market-driven curriculum, entrepreneurship, applied learning (e.g. electrical), student services, and recruitment. Sharing best practices learning with partners in Kenya has been meaningful for Durham College faculty and staff and supports our vision and commitment to support the economic, social, and environmental success of our global community. Current projects in Kenya include a partnership focused on national Competency Based Education and Training for all Pre-Service and In-Service TVET trainers and leadership training with the Kenya School of TVET and a second partnership aimed at the development and launch of new electrical and solar programs at Maasai Mara Technical Vocational College. Each project partnership has a strong focus on strategies and processes for applied learning and sustainable industry linkages to ensure the development of industry-responsive curriculum that better matches graduate skills with employer needs in an effort to support employment and self-employment. Skills to Access the Green Economy (Guyana) Durham College in collaboration with College of the North Atlantic and Mohawk College, was recently awarded one of six Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE-04) calls for proposals. With this contract, the Canadian college consortium will support two schools in Guyana: New Amsterdam Technical Institute and Bina Hill Institute, in developing industry-responsive and inclusive skills training programs. SAGE will see more than 1,000 students and beneficiaries trained across a variety of fields, including: water and coastal management, agriculture, construction and eco-tourism. The ultimate goal of SAGE-04 is to develop an inclusive academic program within the renewable energy sector. This five-year initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered by CICan, will also support Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada’s commitment to empower girls and women worldwide. Guyana In response to the growing needs of Guyana’s auto industry, which has seen a significant increase in the number of cars with new electronic systems, DC, in partnership with College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of the Memorial University of Newfoundland worked with the Government Technical Institute, a vocational institute in Georgetown, Guyana. Together they developed a new, labour-responsive Automotive Electronics Technician program. The three-year project was conducted in conjunction with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and funded by Global Affairs Canada. Through extensive consultation and collaboration, the partnership has achieved great success. This includes supporting local partners in modernizing their automotive curriculum through industry engagement and faculty technical skills development; supporting GTI in building sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders; and focusing on building the leadership skills of the female-headed management team, including the drafting and implementation of their institutional strategic plan. Empowering through Skills Program (Tanzania) Durham College, in collaboration with Sault College and Centennial College, is the project lead for one of six Empowerment through Skills Program projects in Tanzania. The Empowerment through Skills Program is aimed at strengthening alternative pathways to education for women and adolescent girls in Tanzania. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada, the program aims to improve access to funding for employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship. The project team will work collaboratively to implement a wide range of initiatives including community-based labour market analysis, community awareness campaigns, industry partnerships, and teacher training. The project will also result in new equipment and short programs in a range of sectors such as business, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and agriculture. PACIFIC ALLIANCE (CHILE,COLOMBIA, MEXICO AND PERU) Durham College expanded our international cooperation efforts within the Pacific Alliance Education for Employment program with the collaborative effort Vancouver Island University and Fanshawe College. The team worked together to support the development, launch, and evaluation of four national marketing campaigns for Technical, Vocational Education and Training education in Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru with an emphasis on increasing access for women in the extractive sectors. Marketing and communication experts from each of the Ministries of Education from Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru along with marketing specialists and educators from Durham College, Vancouver Island University, and Fanshawe College shared their experience, approaches and tools. Canadian colleges provided technical training and completed multimedia productions featuring testimonies from young people, training institutions, ministries, industry and other relevant stakeholders. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada, the program resulted in four highly successful marketing campaigns, best practices in gender equality and marketing, cross-ministerial training, and sharing of best practices. BARBADOS Durham College (DC) spearheaded a multi-stakeholder Leadership Development and Change Management Project in the secondary and post-secondary education system in Barbados. The initiative is intended to support the Government of Barbados’ Human Resource Development Strategy with an emphasis on improving the quality and relevance of secondary education and the effectiveness of technical vocational education and training. This project was part of the Skills for the Future Program with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank, in partnership with the Government of Barbados. DC’s goal was to build transformational leadership skills necessary for driving change at the TVET institutions towards improving the quality and relevance of training provided, in tune with international best practices. DC hosted and trained 25 mid-level managers from both secondary and post-secondary educational institutions tasked with managing and implementing organizational and systemic change processes within their institutions. The training programs were tailored to each change management project that included topics such as: competency-based teaching and learning; recruitment and bridging programs for secondary to post-secondary training; quality assurance and curriculum development methodology; and industry engagement and work integrated learning. One of the biggest successes and important components for sustainability of results, outside of the transfer of skills in the thematic areas of training, was the communities of practice the stakeholders built amongst themselves. Constant communication and engagement within this group will support to foster long-term relationships, sharing of lessons learned and on-going trouble shooting of challenges, while also fortifying the leadership approach of future senior leaders in Barbados education system. Peru Culinary, hotel and tourism industries are booming in Peru. To meet this demand, DC worked alongside faculty at Centro Experimental de Formación Profesional (CEFOP), a technical and vocational college in Trujillo, to implement innovative and creative culinary and teaching practices using new and existing technology. By engaging local industry leaders in the development and implementation of new curriculum, DC helped to ensure graduates receive high-quality education that aligns with specific market needs. DC’s support has helped to facilitate the CEFOP in establishing consistent integrated work learning opportunities for their culinary students, while also formalizing ongoing skills upgrading for their faculty members. DC also supported the CEFOP in adopting a locally-relevant approach to DC’s ‘field-to-fork’ practices through the design and implementation of an urban garden. Through the integration of concepts of environmental sustainability throughout the new curriculum, students are learning the biological, cultural and social meaning of the food they cook with, while the CEFOP’s restaurant, El Señorial, adapts its menu to incorporate the daily harvest. Vietnam Under a 4-year partnership with Hau Giang Community College (HGCC), DC leveraged the success of its evidence-based practices by supporting the development of a new, locally relevant curriculum development model for community colleges in Vietnam. By sharing its expertise in the Food and Pharmaceutical industry, DC provided capacity-building workshops to guide HGCC in the development of robust new program development methodologies and practices that support the college in delivering industry-responsive programming. DC also provided support in developing institutional expertise in competency-based, applied teaching and learning practices, including a robust technical skills training program in the area of Food and Pharmaceutical. Project components also included imparting strategies for increasing student recruitment and retention; improving access to marginalized groups through career guidance and enhanced programs and services; and building long-term, sustainable relationships with local industry. This partnership was part of a larger Skills for Employment initiative lead by Agriteam Canada Inc and funded by Global Affairs Canada, which included two other partnerships between Niagara College and College of the North Atlantic with different Vietnamese colleges.
International
International
International