VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN THE PUEBLOS JOVENES - OPG `FE Y ALEGRIA"

PROJ SUPPORTS OPERATIONAL COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING & EQUIPPING 30 TECH WORKSHOPS IN FE Y ALEGRIA SCHOOLS AS WELL AS CONTRACTED PROJ EVAL OF THIS AID CONTRIBUTION TO AN FE Y ALEGRIA OPG. EVAL METHODOLOGY CONSISTED OF SEVERAL VISITS TO PILOT ITES,ASSESSMENT OF PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF EVAL CONTRACT TEAM,AND DISCUSSIONS AMONG USAID PROGRAM OFFICER,EVAL TEAM MEMBERS,PERUVIAN HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION PERSONNEL,AND FE Y ALEGRIA REPRESENTATIVES. DURING PROJECT"S INITIAL YEAR,4 OF 12 INITIALLY-PROGRAMMED WORKSHOPS COMMENCED INSTRUCTION,REACHING 370 STUDENTS. CONSTRUCTION & EQUIPPING DELAYS IN THE OTHER 8 WORKSHOPS WERE DUE PRIMARILY TO SIERRA RAINS AND FAILURE OF US-ORDERED EQUIPMENT TO ARRIVE. AT TIME OF EVAL, 8 OF 12 WORKSHOPS WERE COMPLETED,WITH OTHER 4 NEAR COMPLETION. WORKSHOPS ARE LOCATED IN FE Y ALEGRIA SCHOOLS IN LIMA,PIURA,CUZCO,AND JAEN. EVALUATORS OBSERVED LACK OF PRIMARY CONSUMABLE AND DIDACTIC MATERIALS IN WORKSHOPS AND NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRNG TO UPGRADE SKILLS OF WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS. CONTRACTED EVAL TEAM HAS ASSEMBLED CROSS-TABULATED DATA BASED ON RANDOM SAMPLING OF INTERVIEWS WITH TEACHERS,PARENTS,AND STUDENTS TO ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE AND CONTRIBUTION OF TECH EDUCATION. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT TEACHER SKILLS NEED UPGRADING,AND THAT PRIMARY MATERIALS AND TEACHER AND STUDENT PRINTED MATERIALS ARE DEFICIENT. DATA ALSO SUGGESTS THAT ADDITIONAL SKILL AREAS MIGHT BE INTRODUCED. WHILE FE Y ALEGRIA GRADUATES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE IMMEDIATELY CAPABLE OF PERFORMING SOPHISTICATED TECHNICAL JOBS,AID EXPECTS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF BASIC SKILLS TO FACILITATE EMPLOYMENT SEARCH OR MORE ADVANCED STUDY. PES RECOMMENDS MODIFICATIONS IN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR TRAINING OF WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS,ACQUISITION OF DIDACTIC & EXPENDABLE WORKSHOP MATERIALS,ADDITIONAL NEW AREAS OF TRAINING IN ELECTRICITY & HANDICRAFTS,AND ANOTHER PROJECT EVALUATION STUDY.