Press Release

On 29 July 2019, the Grant Agreement (G/A) of the "Project for the Development of Japan-Myanmar Aung San Vocational Training Institute (JMASVTI)" was successfully concluded in Nay Pyi Taw between Dr. Aye Myint, Director General of the Department of Technical Vocational Education and Training (DTVET), Ministry of Education (MoE) and Mr. Masayuki KARASAWA, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Myanmar Office. The Agreement grants the Ministry of Education the grant amount up to two billion seven hundred and twenty-six million Japanese Yen (JPY 2,726,000,000), which is approximately 37.9 billion Myanmar Kyat. This is the main and second G/A of the said project, while the first G/A for the Detailed Designs with the grant amount up to 165 million Japanese Yen (Approx. 2,200 million Myanmar Kyat) was signed in December 2018.

The project aims at establishing a model formal TVET institute called "Japan-Myanmar Aung San Vocational Training Institute (JMASVTI)" as the Government Technical Institute (GTI) at the location of the former Aung San GTHS in Insein Township through building facilities and provision of equipment for the both courses. New diploma courses of Automobile Maintenance and Electrical will be offered at this institute. Under the first G/A, the detailed designs of facilities and equipment list have been already finalized, and the actual construction of the facilities and procurement of equipment will start under the second G/A.

Establishment of JMASVTI is also supported through the Technical Cooperation "Project for Quality Improvement in TVET Program". Experts from Japan have been dispatched since August 2018 to support MoE to develop new curriculum, textbooks, training of teachers and management staff, renovation of existing facilities and provision of necessary equipment and tools.

The official opening of JMASVTI is planned in the upcoming academic year in December 2019 in temporary facilities, while the new facilities supported by the grant aid are expected to be ready by May 2021.

Dr. Aye Myint, Director General of the Department of TVET during the signing ceremony expressed his appreciation for support by the Government of Japan and JICA, and said, "Application (for JMASVTI) will be announced in the newspaper in October. We expect to receive so many applications".

In addition, JICA provide TVET policy support through displacement of a TVET advisor to the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, JICA cooperates with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Populations (MoLIP) in another Technical Cooperation "Project for Development of National Skills Standards (NSS)", which supports defining NSS for Automobile Mechanics and Electricians, so that skills and knowledge of workers can be assessed and certified. With these combined efforts, JICA will continuously support to strengthen the systematic improvement of the Myanmar labour forces for sustainable and equitable economic growth of Myanmar.