EU supports programmes in Armenia, such as Social Innovations for Vocational Education and Employability of Young People with Disabilities (SIVEE) dedicated to equipping youth with disabilities with marketable skills that significantly increase the chances to find fulfilling employment.
The objectives of the programmes are - promote social innovation in the technical vocational education sector in order to create equal employment opportunities as a basic human right for young people with disabilities and generate shared growth; enhance the capacity of TVET institutions to pilot social enterprises (SE), where the young people with disabilities are employed and share the experience with other colleges to scale it up; organise professional orientation meetings with children at their last year of studying at the special and inclusive schools and their parents; enroll young people into TVETs for long term vocational education, organise market-oriented short-term inclusive classes at TVETs; Improve physical accessibility of institutions; Improve the capacities of TVET and special school teachers to deliver, professional orientation and inclusive education.
917 teachers of 46 TVETs attended a series of workshops on the main principles of work with young people with disabilities and inclusive education.
Short-term vocational education classes were conducted at 7 competitively selected TVETs (Yerevan State Regional College N2, Kotayk State Regional College, Tavush State Regional College, Armavir State Art College, Sisian State College and Syunik State Regional College).
282 young people with disabilities were enrolled to get marketable knowledge and skills.
64 young people with disabilities from Yerevan and project target marzes were enrolled in TVET institutions for 2016-2017 academic year for a regular long-term education.
At the next round of the small grants program, 5 TVETs out of 7 were selected to set up innovative Social Enterprises. According to the project requirements, each SE should hire at least 5 employees with disabilities.
As of now, 3 out of 5 SEs are full scale operating and 15 young people with disabilities are already employed.
Here are two stories of these people.
Art is My Inspiration
Narine Movsisyan, 29, is another beneficiary of SIVEE project, who now works as a designer at Vayots Dzor State Regional College, where she does embroidery, colorful typography, and laser engraving.
“There aren’t that many things that the four walls of one’s room can give to a person,” she says. “My work is my happiness. It enriches my every day. When I was taking woodworking classes at the college I woke up every day looking forward to them.”
Narine says she is interested in all fields of art and is constantly on the lookout for new techniques and ideas. The most important thing for her is loving her work. Even if something is not going smoothly in the learning process, she has the courage to know and in...
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