Escuela Nacional Central de Agricultura Guatemala

The Millennium Challenge Corporation-funded project to strengthen agricultural training in Guatemala. 

CIRED is working with John Ignosh, advanced extension specialist, Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Henry Quesada, associate professor, Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, College of Natural Resources and Environment, to implement the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funded project in Guatemala to strengthen agricultural technical and vocational education and training (ATVET) at the Escuela Nacional Central de Agricultura (ENCA). ENCA, a public school that offers secondary degrees in agriculture and forestry, is expected to play a major role in improving the agricultural workforce.

MCC is an independent U.S. government foreign aid agency. The $1.2 million, 2-year project is led by GOPA Consultants, a private consulting company based in Germany that currently works with MCC-Guatemala on improving education and training. The other consortium partner is EARTH University in Costa Rica. About 30 percent of Guatemalan youth work in the agriculture sector, but lack basic agricultural skills as well as the knowledge needed to be gainfully employed. The project will focus on improving linkages between the agro-forestry curricula and employment opportunities.  Additionally, the project will strengthen teaching at ENCA. One of the goals is to reposition the school to be a more effective provider of education and training for the agricultural sector