BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 13
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Over the next ten years, 300 professional farmers skilled in milk and dairy production will be trained in Georgia at new vocational training institution, the Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus (SASC), Trend reports referring to United Nations Development Program (UNDP) office in Georgia.
Modeled on thePlantahof agricultural school in Switzerland, the school is set to open in 2021 and will serve as a model training facility for cattle breeding and dairy farming. The total investment needed to establish a new institution is estimated at $3 million. Funding will come from Swiss and Georgian private sources, including the Swiss South Caucasus Foundation.
With $300,000 from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNDP will develop the school curriculum, blending theoretical and practical training in cattle breeding and dairy production based on the Swiss Plantahof model. UNDP support will also include retraining teachers, setting up extension services for farmers, arranging internships for students and trainers, and offering business consulting to school graduates.
This assistance is part of a wider partnership between UNDP and SDC to help reform vocational education and training so that the educational system meets the demands of the labor market.
The construction of the Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus, including the college premises, dairy farm and a guesthouse for teachers, will be completed by spring 2021, when SASC will accept its first students, offering them a three-year training course.
As expected, about 300 students will graduate from SASC over the next ten years, and up to 2,000 farmers will be provided with agriculture services.
"Supporting cattle-breeding is a priority of the Georgian Government, and training qualified workforce is especially critical for development of the indutry. Modern and advanced training facilities, such as the Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus, will help future farmers receive with world-class education," said Minister of Agriculture of Georgia Levan Davitashvili.
"Our college aims to serve as a benchmark for agricultural vocational education in the region. The high-quality Swiss curricula and modern infrastructure enable us to achieve that," said the SASC founder Mikheil Svimonishvili.
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