The difficulty in graduating and the lack of qualified workers is slowing development in Myanmar. A Swiss association hopes to ease this problem by exporting the concept of apprenticeships to the southeast Asian country.
This class has gathered on the third floor of the Red Cross house, an old building in the centre of Yangon. In other rooms, dozens of boys and girls learn how they can sell themselves better on the job market.
In the Center for Vocational Training (CVT), everyone can develop their own qualities, even if they come from a poor family.“It’s a new way of acquiring knowledge and job skills,” the centre’s director Yin Yin Aye told swissinfo.ch. The CVT’s aim is to teach and educate the younger generations in Myanmar so they can contribute more to the country’s economy.
The backers of the CVT say Myanmar’s production methods haven’t been modernised for ages and therefore no longer correspond to international standards. As a result, companies – both from Myanmar and abroad – struggle to recruit qualified staff.
The centre arose from an idea of Max Wey, a former Red Cross delegate. It was the first in the country that introduced the dual Swiss-style apprenticeship.
Apprentices complete a three-year scheme with a partner company. One day a week they visit the CVT to attend classes on theory, general education and their specialist field. Five trades are offered: commercial clerk, carpenter, electrician, engineer and hotel or catering assistent. CVT points out that in these sectors there are no public educational opportunities.
After the apprenticeship, pupils receive a certificate of competence, as in Switzerland. This can open doors for them.The CVT management are all locals. Switzerland – and especially the Association for Apprenticeships in Myanmar, based in Sarnen, canton Obwalden – supplies financial assistance and advice. Swiss experts and lecturers regularly met their colleagues in Yangon so they can adapt teaching plans and exchange experiences.
“We’d like to serve as a model for Myanmar,” said Yin Yin Aye. “I just hope that in future the funds come not only from Switzerland but also from companies and businesspeople in the region."
2012.06.14 SwissInfo.ch - Swiss_school_system_brightens_futures_in_Myanmar