Improving Skills for Holistic Employment in Modern Agriculture (ISHEMA)

Context

The ISHEMA project supports Rwanda’s Vision 2050 – an ambitious development strategy aimed at transforming the country into a high-income nation – by addressing the urgent need to modernise agriculture, a sector employing 69% of the population. 

Its core purpose is to transform subsistence agriculture into a sustainable, productive driver of inclusive growth. By establishing Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), it improves access to certified skills, develops production units for hands-on training, and strengthens employment pathways. The project prioritises the empowerment of youth and women, as they represent a significant portion of the agricultural workforce and play a vital role in driving innovation within their communities. In alignment with national education strategies, it aims to bridge education and industry, fostering a skilled workforce that meets Rwanda’s development ambitions.

Objectives

The project’s overall objective is to modernise Rwanda’s agricultural sector by strengthening access to quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and improving the integration of learners into the labour market. It aims to establish CoVEs that deliver certified agricultural skills and foster innovation and employment linkages through hands-on production units. 
Specific objectives include aligning curricula with market needs, enhancing learning environments at three CoVEs, and facilitating the recognition of prior learning. The initiative boosts workplace learning, career guidance and institutional capacity, ensuring graduates – especially youth and women – can drive sustainable growth in agriculture.

Beneficiaries

Direct beneficiaries include over 150 teachers and staff at the partner CoVEs and government agencies, whose capacities in vocational training are enhanced. The final beneficiaries are the thousands of students, school dropouts and adults who gain access to skills through full-time or short courses, with a special focus on women and persons with disabilities.

Target geographical area

The project focuses its support on three CoVEs and the districts in which these are situated. The technical secondary schools (TSS) that are upgraded to CoVEs are the following: EAV Gitwe TSS in Ngoma district, Mutobo TSS in Musanze district and Kinazi TSS in Ruhango district.

Stakeholders

The project is implemented in partnership with the Rwanda TVET Board, the lead national institution overseeing secondary-level vocational training in Rwanda.