Vocational Education in the Kyrgyz forestry and wood processing sector

Background
After the Breakdown of the Soviet Union the vocational education system of Kyrgyzstan has not been adapted to the new challenges of the local oriented economy. Well skilled professional specialists are a crucial factor for the success for the slowly growing small and medium enterprises (SME) sector but are hardly found in the forestry and wood-processing sector of Kyrgyzstan.

Frame of the project
The vocational education project runs in the frame of the Kyrgyz Swiss Forestry Support Program (KIRFOR), which is mainly financed by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Intercooperation (IC). The vocational education project The main goals of KIRFOR are the improvement of the frame conditions for institutions and the local population in the forests, poverty alleviation, enlargement of the country’s forest area, preservation of the forest’s biodiversity and the recovery of added value for the local population through the sustainable use of the forest resources. A part of the KIRFOR program is the support to the development of SMEs of the wood-processing sector.

The vocational education project
Main goal of the vocational education project is an adapted vocational education system for the forest and wood processing sector in close cooperation with the main stakeholders (state bodies, private sector, vocational schools). Although within KIRFOR, the vocational education project is financed by various public and private sponsors.

History of the Vocational Education Project
After several analysis and preparation works until 2000 the main activities of the project started with conceptional works followed by the implementation. The first adapted course started in autumn 2002. By the end of 2003 five vocational schools (2 for forestry, 3 for wood-processing) are involved in the project.

Junior experts from HSB, Biel Switzerland (until December 2003 SWOOD) and the Interkantonale Försterschule, Lyss Switzerland play an important role in the achievement of the goals.

Activities in 2003
One of the major activities is the further development of the teaching aids for the schools. Besides, the concepts and curricula are evaluated and adapted due to experience made in the first courses. The further education of the teachers and master of the schools regarding professional, methodical and didactical knowledge is another centre of gravity.

Support of the program "Initiating and development of research partnership between Swiss universities of applied science and transition and development countries"

The support of the program makes it possible that again a trainee from the School of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering HSB (named SWOOD until end 2003) contributes to the development of the project. In close cooperation with the local partners the trainee's main tasks are:

• Development and introduction of products for the practical lessons. These products have to meet methodical standards., Besides, it should be possible to sell the products in order to gain financial means for raw material for future lessons.
• Training and support to the school management, teachers and masters
• Support to the development of a strategy towards sustainability of the new vocational education system
• Documentation of results and lessons learned (diploma thesis)

Information:
School of Architecture, Civil and Wood Engineering HSB
Solothurnstrasse 102
CH-2504 Biel
urs.uehlinger@hsb.bfh.ch

Partner:
Departement for Vocational Training and Education
Gordeyeva Irina Borisovna
42, Ul. Mederova
Bishkek 720’000
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC