The curricula will first be used to train students in academies in Morocco and Zambia, currently being established by UNIDO in close cooperation with local vocational training centres and the private sector through Public Private Development Partnerships (PPDP).

The curricula can also be used in other countries that require training in heavy duty industrial equipment

The curricula are developed as part of the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF) programme, which focuses on PPDP projects that target vocational training, helps compile best practices, supports continuous improvement in existing PPDPs, and fosters the development of new partnerships.

In addition to UNIDO experts, the workshop was attended by representatives of Scania and the Volvo Group, and local vocational training authorities from Zambia and Morocco, as well as industrial skills trainers.

“Having a variety of partners discuss the new curricula was extremely valuable because it helped ensure that the curricula correspond to the standards of the industry and are in line with the needs of local training institutions,” said Virpi Stucki, PPDP Project Manager at UNIDO.

Johan Dyfvelsten, Director for Competence Development at the Volvo Group, supported this notion by explaining that “it is very important to have curricula available that support the interests of all stakeholders, including those of donors, local governments and the private sector. If correct curricula are in place, all stakeholders can benefit, graduates will find employment and it will become easier for the private sector to find skilled workers”.

Leonard Mulenga, the project coordinator of the PPDP in Zambia further explained that “In many developing countries, the training provided at vocational training schools fails to meet the expectations of local industries. This is due to a lack of cooperation between relevant parties. Workshops like this one are important because they make vocational training more market-oriented, which is crucial in order to ensure the employability of graduates”.

Following the validation workshop, the curricula will be finalized, integrating the feedback received from participants. As of 2016, they will be used to train students in heavy duty equipment training academies in Morocco, Zambia and elsewhere.

watch a video on “what is Private Public Development Partnership”

For more information, please contact:

Virpi Stucki
UNIDO Project Manager
email