“Building capacity to meet climate change and resilient livelihood challenges: education and training are the missing link”

Dr. Tom Hammett, Director, innovATE and Professor, Virginia Tech

and

Dr. Mike Rechlin, Future Generations

13 Jan. 2015

Kathmandu

Background

Programs seek to solve challenges caused by climate change, build livelihoods;

Science points to potential solutions; but, lacks local options;

Little local awareness of challenges, causes, and long-term results; and

Lack of trained manpower, to meet these challenges, and to work at the local level

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Observations

At national level, policies to meet international needs have been debated

But these policies often do not meet needs at local level

Or policies may not be implemented due to lack of trained personnel

So, need to bridge gap between national policies and local adaptation

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What is the relevance to managing local landscape?

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And to managing local resources?

Need a pathway that

Links our education and training programs with these challenges;

Blends pilot projects in education and training with climate change coping;

Ensures livelihoods opportunities; and

Fosters economic growth programs that are sustainable

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What about gender equity?

And income generation?

Realizing the importance of Climate Change – first steps:

Awareness created

Importance understood

Included in schooling

Added to curricula

Incorporated in workforce development training

Need capacity to:

Assess teaching and training facilities, programs, and other resources

Identify gaps in skills, courses, etc.

Build strategies appropriate and relevant to current local and national conditions

Link to resources needed to implement these strategies

Work with local programs and institutions to meet these challenges

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We need to:

Ensure that our research is relevant;

Present results in useful formats;

Share our results where needed; and

Incorporate education and outreach into our research

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Research Results

Data

Development practitioners

Information flow

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Research Results

Data

Development practitioners

Information flow

Local level stakeholders

Field personnel need to:

Understand national climate adaptation strategies;

Have knowledge and skills necessary to interpret these strategies; and

Have the ability to implement adaptation measures at local level

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Strengthen understanding at training and education institutions

Include all levels: Primary schools

Secondary schools

Vocational and technical schools

Youth programs

Workforce development

Higher education

Distribution

Short-term Education Institution

Supply

Processing Harvesting Production

Inputs

Work-force

development

University

University

Skills and Jobs

Agricultural Value Chain

Primary School

Vocational/Technical

School

Demand

Secondary School

Youth

17 Planning, coordination, and cooperation!

The way forward

How can our discussion today (here) be made more relevant? and

How best to address key issues at the local level?

Identify and close the gaps!

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Let’s start the discussion

Photo credit: Gates Foundation

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InnovATE Goal

To cultivate the human and institutional capacity of education systems necessary for developing countries to promote rural innovation, achieve sustainable food security, reduce poverty, and conserve natural resources

Who is innovATE?

Implemented by a consortium of US universities:

Virginia Tech is the lead with • Tuskegee University, • Penn State University • University of Florida, and • others

Photo credit: Gates Foundation

InnovATE is improving the resilience of the agricultural workforce through strengthened capacity of agricultural education institutions

Photo credit: Gates Foundation

The integrated program approach centers on student-focused outcomes which meet labor market demand for professional skills

Photo credit: Gates Foundation

The ultimate goal is more effective performance of institutions by increasing the alignment of professional skills to employer demand

Photo credit: Gates Foundation

innovATE Program activities

Applied research – gaps, best practices

Training data base

Web-site

Assessments; supply and demand

Training workshops

Community of practice

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"THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO PLANT TREES UNDER WHOSE SHADE YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO SIT." Nelson Henderson

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