Quarterly Report 17: October 1 - December 31, 2019

The program's primary objective is to increase access to technical education and promote economic growth in the region. In Honduras, the program supports nine institutions, including Universidad Cristiana Evangélica Nuevo Mileno (UCEMN) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH). The program has established partnerships with these institutions to provide scholarships and technical assistance to students. In the first quarter of Year 5, the program collected cost-share documentation from UCEMN and UNAH, totaling US$30,925.87. UNAH is contributing 14 scholarships to students enrolled in Advance-supported technical degree programs. In Guatemala, the program supports six institutions, including Universidad Panamericana (UPANA) and Universidad Rafael Landívar (URL). The program has established partnerships with these institutions to provide scholarships and technical assistance to students. In the first quarter of Year 5, the program reported cost-share from UPANA, totaling $15,223.04. The program also engaged with Editorial Océano, a publishing company that will donate new books to Advance partner universities to enhance resource libraries. In Jamaica, the program supports three institutions, including the Vocational and Technical Development Institute (VTDI) and the University of Technology (UTECH). The program has established partnerships with these institutions to provide scholarships and technical assistance to students. In the first quarter of Year 5, the program worked with VTDI and UTECH to document and submit their cost-share report, totaling $4,885.95 for VTDI and $7,045.37 for UTECH. The program also conducted various administrative activities, including developing and submitting a work plan for Fiscal Year 2020 activities in the Dominican Republic. The program also began recruitment for two positions in the Dominican Republic: Technical Director and Higher Education Specialist. The program interviewed candidates for the Technical Director position and plans to make a formal offer next quarter. In addition to administrative activities, the program conducted various technical activities, including developing and implementing communication activities. The program attracted 17 new followers this quarter, for a total of 139 followers on Advance's Twitter page. The program also posted various tweets and videos highlighting activities related to access to technical education, public-private partnerships, and soft skills and career services training for faculty and university staff. The program also conducted closeout activities, including developing a draft closeout plan for Honduras and Guatemala country offices. The plan lays out administrative activities in the areas of human resources, subaward closeout, document and file retention, and technical obligations. The program also started to phase out staff in Honduras and Guatemala and conducted internal audits to ensure that all Program records are saved and filed in preparation for closing out subawards and consultancies. Overall, the Advance Program has made significant progress in supporting technical education in Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica. The program has established partnerships with various institutions and has provided scholarships and technical assistance to students. The program has also conducted various administrative and technical activities to support its objectives.