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LAOS - Skills programme launched to boost tourism, agriculture forestry
The Government of Lao PDR and "Team Europe" partners, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Switzerland and the European Union, gathered this 26 September 2023 in Vientiane Capital to launch the “Skills for tourism, agriculture and forestry” (STAF) programme with a total budget of EUR 25M.
The STAF launching event coincided with the first Programme Steering committee and was chaired by H.E. Associate Professor Dr. Phout Simmalavong, Minister of Education and Sports, who was joined by the co-chairs, Mr. Thomas Lammar, Chargé d’Affaires, Luxembourg Embassy to Lao PDR, H.E. Ms Ina Marčiulionytė, Ambassador of the European Union to Lao PDR, and Ms. Aurélie Righetti, Deputy Director of Cooperation for the Mekong Region, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Developing young people's skills and helping them find work more easily
The new five year-programme aims to improve the skills and employability of young women and men in the tourism, agriculture and forestry sectors. It will do this by providing technical and financial assistance to:
- improve the relevance and quality of training;
- increase the availability and accessibility of courses, including through the provision of scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds;
- and support learners in the transition from training to jobs or self-employment.
The STAF programme is expected to directly benefit over 20 000 young women and men, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Its interventions in the tourism sector will cover the provinces of Vientiane, Khammouane, Bolikhamxay, Bokeo, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Champasak, and Vientiane Capital. For agriculture and forestry, its partner provinces are Vientiane, Khammouane, Bolikhamxay, Bokeo and Luang Prabang.
The STAF programme is cofinanced by the Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Switzerland and the European Union, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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