International Development Grant
Agricultural Transformation Through Stronger Vocational Education in Ethiopia
Project Number: CA-3-A035359001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $18,221,414.00
Start Date: March 10, 2014
End Date: December 31, 2021
Duration: 7.8 years
Project Description
This project supports the reform of four agricultural colleges so that they are better able to provide high-quality training that meets the needs of Ethiopia's commercially-oriented agriculture sector. The project provides advice and training to instructors and staff of the four agricultural colleges to help them improve their teaching and administration skills. The project also provides books for libraries and equipment for laboratories and field demonstration sites at the four colleges. The four colleges provide approximately 3 000 graduates per year with the technical and entrepreneurial skills they need to undertake commercial agricultural production and to find employment in public and private agricultural enterprises. The project is also strengthening the knowledge and skills of approximately 500 teaching and administrative staff in key areas related to commercial agriculture business planning curriculum development and income generation. The project is also working to develop partnerships with other colleges universities research institutions agribusinesses and farmers to ensure that the colleges' training programs remain relevant. The project also shares the best practices in management and education it develops with other colleges in the country. The project is implemented by Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture in collaboration with McGill University and the Mennonite Economic Development Associates in Canada and with Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Ethiopia.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) increased capacity of four agricultural colleges to implement innovative management strategies and provide high-quality training that responds to labour market needs of private and public sector stakeholders active in commercial agriculture; (ii) increased capacity of instructors at selected agricultural colleges to provide training and services that are gender sensitive and meet the needs of commercial agriculture; and (iii) more effective partnerships developed between targeted agricultural colleges and public and private stakeholders in the sectors of agriculture and education.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of March 2021 include: (1) trained 219 women and 989 men on institutional strengthening teaching pedagogy curriculum development business development project management and technical agricultural topics; (2) 728 women and 1024 men students from the Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) completed an industry-based cooperative internship. This internship provided them practical skills for employment/self-employment in the workplace; (3) 43 women and 57 men ATVET graduates received funding for their agricultural businesses which successfully contributed to the market-driven economy; (4) 33 women and 229 men ATVET instructors participated in curriculum development training that mainstreamed gender and business development delivered to local farmers; (5) 70% of women and 74% of men students from four ATVETs reported the project enabled their instructors to provide gender-sensitive pedagogy in the classroom an increase from a baseline of 38%; (6) hosted the first and second National ATVET conference for 377 ATVET staff including regional and national stakeholders (of which 70 women) to enable effective partnerships between targeted agricultural colleges including public and private stakeholders in the agriculture and education sectors; (7) delivered infrastructure to agriculture colleges such as laboratory and library equipment and materials. 61.4 % of non-teaching staff and instructors (of which 13.1% women) believe that they have the appropriate infrastructure and Information and Communication Technology platforms to deliver high-quality educational services. This figure increased by 41% from the baseline of 20% (of which 10% women); (8) 79.8% of students (of which 31.3% women) spoke positively about the instructors’ ability to provide gender-sensitive training and services. This increase is 24% from the baseline of 56% (of which 21% women); and (9) 77.4% of ATVET staff (of which 16.5% women) reported their insti
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Dalhousie University International Research and Development
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
WGM Africa
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Donor country personnel
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP