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Young Africa Works – Kenya: Youth Employability Through TVET – Development of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Guidelines and Tools
Location: Kenya
Client/partners: Government of Kenya, Colleges and Institutes Canada, Mastercard Foundation, Humber College and Red River College
Dates: 2020 - 2025
NorQuest College has partnered with Humber College and Red River College to support the implementation of a strong and comprehensive PLAR system and the introduction of PLAR services at participating Kenyan Government Agencies. This initiative will lead to increased recruitment, retention and transition of youth to employment.
Working closely with the Kenyan National Qualifications Association (KNQA), the project team will conduct an analysis of current government RPL policy, develop RPL assessment tools and procedures for implementation within local Centres of Excellence, and champion benefits of RPL within the extensive Jua Khali informal economic sector.
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Young Africa Works – Kenya: Youth Employability Through TVET – Curricula Gap Audit
Location: Kenya
Client/partners: Government of Kenya, Colleges and Institutes Canada, Mastercard Foundation, Seneca College and College of the Rockies
Dates: 2020 - 2025
In partnership with Seneca College and the College of the Rockies, NorQuest will lead a curricula gap audit across Kenya’s ‘Big Four’ (manufacturing, food security and nutrition, universal health coverage, and affordable housing) industries and digital sectors. The project will include an assessment of existing CBET curricula, support the launch of new courses at 10 Kenyan Polytechnics, and identify new levels and course content in line with sectors identified through rapid labour market scans.
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Improving Skills Training for Employment Program (ISTEP) – Pre-Technology Program
Location: Tanzania
Client/partner: Colleges and Institutes Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA)
Dates: 2015 - 2018
The Improving Skills Training for Employment Program is a six-year program that strengthens skills development in Tanzania. ISTEP is helping technical and vocational training institutions deliver skills training that will allow students to find or create employment in the tourism and extractive sectors.
In collaboration with Lakeland College, NorQuest College participated in a targeted project that supported the development of curricula for remedial and pre-entry Pre-Technology Programs in Tanzania. The Pre-Technology Program was designed and delivered in partnership with the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) Central Office in Dar es Salaam, and was later piloted with VETA across the country.
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Education for Employment (EFE Andes) - Agri-Food Processing Curriculum Review and Development
Location: Peru
Client/partner: Colleges and Institutes Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Ministerio de Educación-MINEDU (Ministry of Education)
Dates: 2012 - 2015
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Promotion of Employment of Peru recognized that the agro-industrial sector was a key sector for their economic development, particularly in the rural areas. Ministries involved seek to increase the quality of agricultural and agro-processing education being offered by its Technical Institutes, ultimately seeking to provide vulnerable youth with equal opportunities for formal employment and entrepreneurship in the sector.
NorQuest College, in partnership with Olds College, worked with local partners to develop and implement CBET curriculum, build pedagogical and entrepreneurial capacity, strengthen private sector relationships and support accreditation.
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Skills to Access the Green Economy (SAGE) – Integrating Learners with Disabilities Consultancy
Location: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia
Client/partner: Colleges and Institutes Canada and Global Affairs Canada
Dates: 2020 - 2022
The Skills to Access the Green Economy Program (SAGE) will help Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia become more resilient by supporting demand-driven technical and vocational education training (TVET) in key economic sectors associated with climate change in the Caribbean. The program aims to increase the capacity of local training institutions to deliver gender-sensitive skills training programs that meet economic and environmental needs in the region, by leveraging the expertise of Canadian colleges and institutes. It also encourages the participation of adolescent girls and women, youth and vulnerable populations in demand-driven technical and vocational education (TVET) fields.
For this Consultancy, NorQuest College has partnered with the College of the North Atlantic to work with institutions and employers to integrate persons with disabilities into TVET training programs and employment. The project provides information on the supports presently available in each country, and works with partners to develop strategies to address gaps ad institutions and in workplaces.
Ultimately, the Consultancy will work with local partners to develop strategies and tools to fill any existing gaps in the recruitment, screening, and supports processes for learners with disabilities.