I never had the opportunity of working directly with the UNHCR but many of my assignments in challenging environments such as Gaza, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan certainly aligned with their work of assisting refugees. See their recent list of postings including the one highlighted here:
The highlighted assignment “Individual Consultancy on Accelerating the Transition of Refugee Education Systems into National Frameworks” starts soon and will run periodically for the duration of 2026. The assignment is home- based but with three short country visits. The deadline for applications is January 29, 2026. If you are an educational planning expert this is your opportunity to make a significant difference in refugee education enhancement worldwide.
To find out more about the UNHCR, check their website.
Our friends at ICTworks have again published an engaging story about ICT in development; this time about how not to implement a One Child One Computer initiative. The OCOC initiative studied was in Peru and ran for 10 years. As reported by Wayan Vota at ICTworks, “This groundbreaking new research following 531 schools over a decade reveals that the One Laptop Per Child program failed to improve academic achievement, cognitive skills, or educational trajectories.” The reason according to W. Vota was the program did not sufficiently engage teachers in the adoption and application of the technology.
When I studied educational technology at Concordia University, in the mid-70s, the only computers were mainframes, and the technology used by teachers was mostly just overhead and slide projectors or audio tapes for teaching languages. The technologies were all used to help teachers gain student attention, present and clarify information, and generally promote learning.
There are several quotable quotes in Wayan’s article. The one I like best is “computers don’t teach, teachers do”.
I agree with the recommendations that Vota makes on how to introduce technology into school systems.
Start with teachers, not hardware. Invest at least as much in teacher training and ongoing support as in devices. Teachers need to understand not just how to operate technology but how to integrate it pedagogically.
Align technology with existing curricula and pedagogical practices. Don’t expect teachers to revolutionize their teaching to accommodate new tools. Instead, show them how technology can enhance what they’re already doing well.
Provide comprehensive support systems. This includes technical support, pedagogical coaching, and peer learning networks. Teachers need multiple channels for getting help when technology inevitably fails or confuses them.
Measure implementation, not just outcomes. Track whether teachers are actually using technology in meaningful ways before expecting student achievement gains. The Peru study’s finding that teachers had minimal laptop skills despite reporting training highlights this critical gap.
Acknowledge that sustainable change takes time. The Peru study followed implementation for 10 years and found no improvement—partly because the program never achieved meaningful classroom integration. Successful technology initiatives require years of sustained support and refinement.
Great advice. Let’s hope it is followed in any future OCOC initiatives.
Catalyste+ Advisor Arthur Shears recently completed a pivotal assignment supporting the Dominica Technical Vocational Education and Training Council (DTVETC) in crafting a comprehensive 5-year strategic plan (2025/26–2030/31), as part of our CCEDM program. The plan outlines a transformative vision for inclusive, competency-based training, institutional strengthening—particularly at the Goodwill Secondary School TVET Centre of Excellence—and enhanced access to funding. Through strategic pillars focused on access, quality, governance, and labor market alignment, the plan sets the foundation for a resilient, future-ready workforce and positions Dominica to leverage regional opportunities like the Caribbean Future Skills Fund.
The above story was recently carried in the Catalyste+ Connects newsletter. My support was provided in-person to the DTVETC on the island for two weeks this past summer, with additional support provided virtually via Zoom before and afterwards. I had the privilege of working closely with a fantastic technical working group of national experts.
For Canadians, especially older professionals like me, Catalyste+ may be an opportunity to share our skills in Northern Canada and/or in developing countries.
Check their website for further information. You can also explore my BLOG posts for opportunities at Catalyste+ and elsewhere.
And don’t forget my memoir – Overseas Adventures… – is available from my website as well. Dominica doesn’t feature in it, but it will if I eventually write a Further Adventures.
The following opportunity was shared with me by Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education at UNRWA.
UNRWA has a TVET programme that serves about 8,000 Palestine Refugee Youth and a similarly structured even smaller education sciences faculty programme (pre-service teacher training only) that serves about 2,000 Palestine refugee youth (mostly females). We are looking for a 6-month TVET/skills-based higher education consultant to advise us on sustainability models for the future management/governance of TVET and educational sciences (pre-service education training).
The JO TVET Consultant / P4 #262571 is online now. For easy reference, please follow the link below:
Note that UNRWA has programs in Gaza, the Occupied West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
This assignment is a transformational opportunity for the right person. Unfortunately, I am not available. I did work with UNRWA in TVET in the 2005-2007 period. My experience is described in a chapter of my book Overseas Adventures….
The Trump administration continues to make a series of bad decisions on everything from trade, to the environment, to international development.
It seems not that long ago that I was congratulating the US on this platform for re-joining UNESCO; now it’s going to withdraw again. Really?
UNESCO has a place in my heart not only because of its positive and sweeping scope in science, education and culture but because in my last long-term assignment, I was Team Leader on the EU funded Skills and Technical Education Program (STEP) in Malawi. This program was managed by UNESCO from 2017-2021.
My experience on this assignment was thoroughly enjoyable and described in the next to last chapter of my book, “Overseas Adventures -From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between”. The book is available from AMAZON or from this website.
As explained by the UNESCO Director-General in the below statement, the agency’s future outlook is not as badly affected as some other UN agencies.
Both the Director-General and I hope that the USA will again join the agency at some future date.
This is a repost of a request from Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education, UNRWA.
Looking for work in the education sector? Are you a senior curriculum or teacher training/school capacity building expert? Interested in working to support the only school system in the world managed by the UN? Do you have expertise in long term refugee education? Have you ever worked with digital education delivery systems from an educational material pov? Interested in curriculum issues, material review, and teaching critical thinking, peace and human rights in complex environments?
Are you organised, collaborative, a people person, and/or experienced at leading teams?
Are you ready to move to the Middle East region and support Palestine refugee education?
We are seeking to hire Senior Education Officers at the P-4 level to help us deepen our efforts to teach our students an education that aligns with UN values and UNESCO standards. Chosen candidates will work either in one of our field offices or in headquarters in Amman.
(If you want to read about my experience working in the region, check the Chapter on Gaza in my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between” available on my website or from AMAZON.)
Hello all. I just received a copy of the below job description and wanted to get it online today – World Youth Skills Day. Apologies in advance for the clunky formatting. The original JD was properly formatted but the formatting didn’t carry over to here. Anyway, do apply if you are qualified and interested. Deadline: 31 July 2025. See details at the bottom of this post.
WorldSkills Occupational Standards Specialist
About WorldSkills WorldSkills International (WSI) is a movement that impacts the lives of young people through initial vocational development. The 89 Member countries and regions that are part of WSI reach two-thirds of the world’s population and create measurable impact at every level through skills development and promotion. We inspire young people to develop a passion for skills and pursue excellence through competitions, projects, and programmes. Every two years we host the world’s largest technical and vocational skills event, the WorldSkills Competition, in which over 1,500 outstanding young practitioners vie to be “the best in the world” in one of around 60 global occupations. To underpin this endeavour, the WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS) are descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that capture occupational mastery and excellence. Over the last decade, WSI has become more engaged with global trends, pressures, and opportunities affecting both TVET and work. As a “tool with a vision”, the idea and practical manifestation of the WSOS now actively contributes to the global search for common reference points and benchmarks for best practice in TVET and work. The WSOS and what they symbolise, entrain and enable, are now an embedded part of the WorldSkills brand. The position WorldSkills is looking for a WorldSkills Occupational Standards Specialist to join our global, diverse, and virtual team. The postholder will be a member of the WorldSkills Secretariat and collaborate with colleagues within the WSOS development team and more widely, wherever their responsibilities combine or interact. They will report to the Chief Executive Officer with close contact and accountability to the WSOS development team leadership.
Responsibilities and duties WSOS research, policy, and strategy
To systematically scan the international skills environment to identify potential opportunities and challenges
To design strategic opportunities for initiatives and carry them through WSI’s and other organisations’ processes
To monitor information relevant to global standards, sharing and providing digests as appropriate
To respond to enquiries, conversations, and joint work with global partners and equivalent bodies
To contribute as requested to WSI’s larger strategic development
To make reasonable and helpful interventions as part of one’s contingency management
To consult with business and industry and make use of other consultation processes.
Development of WSOS and growth
To support the (Skill) Competitions Portfolio Working Group/process by drafting, editing, and/or quality assuring WSOS to help substantiate the case for new skill competitions that meet agreed principles
To contribute to colleagues’ projects where they are relevant to the WSOS.
WSOS management
To support the systematisation, development, and expansion of the biennial updating cycle, in line with the WSOS’ growing range of purposes globally and within the WorldSkills movement. This includes
positioning the WSOS as representing an international core of technical and vocational mastery in occupations open to young adults among others
ensuring the continuing validity and relevance of the WSOS as benchmarks for skill competitions through analyses of the WSOS, contributing to the biennial review of the skill competitions portfolio.
To support the management and reputation of the “WSOS Brand” as benchmarks for skill competitions.
To advance the WSOS brand and its growing wider application to the global skills agenda.
WSOS alignment
To support those responsible for reviewing and aligning regional competitions’ use of the WSOS, to
enable them to be updated in line with the biennial review
avoid reputational harm
identify, quality assure, and align additional standards using the WSOS “brand”
To support the development of coherent and effective regional standards and associated policies
To support the coherent application of WSOS to TVET assessment and practice. WSOS-TVET
To support those responsible for working with Members’ WSOS-TVET reforms with advice, boundary management, professional development, and guidance.
Skills, knowledge, and experience Attributes The person appointed will have these essential attributes:
A comparative understanding of technical and vocational education and training, systemically and pedagogically
A strategic understanding of economies and labour markets across the world
A comparative understanding of assessment and assessment systems
Practical experience in the modern design of knowledge, skills, and behaviours in TVET systems
A conceptual and practical understanding of quality assurance and control
A commitment to informed and intelligence-led decision-making
Proven ability to work across and between research and practitioner communities
Advanced communication and presentation skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (additional languages are an advantage), including an ability to summarize complex information and present it in a simplified, accurate format
The ability to work with complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty
A concern for order and precision where it matters
Self-knowledge and metacognition (a reflective and creative practitioner)
A willingness and capacity to “get the job done”, however routine or tedious
An enjoyment of challenge
A team player with the ability to be individually accountable
Contingency management skills, with a willingness to take reasonable risks and learn from mistakes
Discretion, dependability, integrity, and pragmatism.
Profile The successful candidate is likely to have the following profile:
A qualification or equivalent at ISCED level 6 or higher
At least 15 years’ experience of working in TVET, business/industry, or ideally both
A record of seeking continuing professional development, formally or informally
A record of working autonomously and/or remotely
A record of successful innovation
Proven interest in innovation and “otherness” (people, places, ideas, phenomena)
A record of designing and writing material and documents, in English, to publication standard. A knowledge of WorldSkills International is less important than an informed outlook on the global skills agenda.
To apply Please send your CV and a statement sharing why you are interested in this role and evidencing your suitability for this role, to Cara McCormack cara.mccormack@worldskills.org. Please include in the subject line of the email: Application – WorldSkills Occupational Standards Specialist. All applications are strictly confidential between the applicant and WorldSkills International management. Deadline: 31 July 2025.
A summary of this report popped up on my LinkedIn feed this morning. See the summary below.
📘 Impact of USAID Withdrawal on Global Education and Skills Development
This new report by Elena Walls in collaboration with the European Training Foundation provides the first comprehensive analysis of the global consequences following the withdrawal of USAID from international education funding in early 2025.
It details the size, scope and immediate impact of this decision — drawing on public data from ForeignAssistance .gov, national budget records, and official programme documentation.
Key findings:
✂️ 396 education programmes were cancelled across 58 countries, including early childhood education, foundational literacy, vocational training and access to higher education.
💰 More than $1.02 billion in annual funding was withdrawn. In 2023, USAID managed over 75% of all US international education investments.
📍 Top five recipient countries (2022–2024): • Jordan 🇯🇴 – $402.5 million • Egypt 🇪🇬 – $191.2 million • Lebanon 🇱🇧 – $161.6 million • Afghanistan 🇦🇫 – $138.9 million • Malawi 🇲🇼 – $81.7 million
These countries are among the most affected by the loss of USAID support. In 2024, USAID funding accounted for 12.9% of Afghanistan’s entire education budget and 8.1% of Jordan’s.
📚 Breakdown by sector (2023): • 75% of USAID’s education portfolio supported primary education • 17% supported higher education • 8% supported technical and vocational education and training
Between 2011 and 2021, USAID foundational skills programmes reached 246 million students in 53 countries.
🧑🏫 Main programme partners included: • NGOs – 28.9% • Universities and colleges – 21.2% • Multilateral platforms (GPE, ECW) – 15.1% • Government institutions – 11.1%
📉 Examples of cancelled programmes: • Lebanon 🇱🇧 – QITABI 2 & 3 national reading programme – $99.5m • Uganda 🇺🇬 – Integrated Child and Youth Development – $118.9m • Malawi 🇲🇼 – NextGen Early Grade Reading – $74.9m • Kenya 🇰🇪 – Primary Literacy Programme – $79.5m • Afghanistan 🇦🇫 – Access to Quality Basic Education (AQBE) – $49m • Zambia 🇿🇲 – Let’s Read – $49m
USAID was the largest bilateral donor to Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and one of the biggest contributors to the Global Partnership for Education. It also supported collaborative efforts such as BE2, the Coalition for Foundational Learning, and a number of research, innovation and data-sharing initiatives across multiple regions.
📊 The report includes regional breakdowns, funding patterns, and detailed analysis of the systems-level impact — particularly for low- and middle-income countries reliant on long-term bilateral support.
It concludes with recommendations for global coordination, including increased EU leadership through Team Europe Initiatives and the Global Gateway.
A must read for anyone working in global education.
This post is the third in the follow-up theme of how oil and gas discoveries affected three countries referenced in my book “Overseas Adventures – From Afghanistan to Zambia and Points In-Between.” The first two posts were about Timor-Leste and Guyana respectively. Recall from my book that I was in Ghana in the mid-1970s as a Field Staff Officer with the Canadian volunteer agency CUSO. Although not mentioned in the book, I also had the pleasure of working in Ghana with the FAO in the early 1990’s on an agroforestry extension project as a development communication advisor.
Offshore oil
Oil was discovered offshore in 2007 and production started in 2010. Ghana is considered the 8th largest producer in Africa but its daily output in 2022 was only 174,000 barrels per day considerably less than juggernauts Nigeria and Angola. Still, Ghana earned some 6.5 billion USD in the first 10 years of production, and in 2022, another USD 1 billion. New discoveries have raised future output estimates to some 400,000 bpd.
You may find this video clip on the oil industry in Ghana informative. “How Ghana only earned $8 billion in oil revenue?” There are some nice visuals of Ghana too.
Government response
The Government passed legislation in 2011 entitled the Petroleum Revenue Management Act to establish proper use of oil revenues. The Ghana Heritage Fund and Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund were also established. Apart from transfers to these entities the Government directly spent considerable amounts on infrastructure particularly roads, alternate energy sources, health and education. However, there was controversy when required transfers to the GIIF were not made on time and the Government took money from the GHF early to deal with the effects of COVID and to initiate the free Secondary High School Initiative.
Although the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in Ghana increased secondary school enrolment by 13.5% from 2017 to 2018, it was criticized for overcrowding classrooms and dormitories. Critics also raised concerns about its financial sustainability and the impact on education quality. Despite the controversy, public opinion remains largely favorable, and a 2024 study confirmed that FREESHS has a positive impact on girls’ educational attainment amongst other benefits.
In my view, apart from secondary general education, the TVET sector also needs more of Ghana’s oil revenue. The country’s Education Strategic Plan notes that “Currently, technical and vocational education is limited in scope and does not cover the diverse needs of learners or of Ghana’s economy. The relevant institutions are also ill-equipped to provide an adequate education, and all of these factors contribute to the poor perception of TVET. The TVET sub-sector also receives less than 3% of the overall education expenditure.” (p8)
I am gratified to see that Government plans do suggest a serious effort to enlarge and enhance this sector as indicated below. My hope is that the allocated budget for TVET gradually rises to five or even eight percent of total education budget.
“The ESP response to existing challenges is therefore to implement the new TVET policy and ensure improved coordination of provision, increase access, and improve relevance under the umbrella of the realignment of the TVET sub-sector, which is a key pillar of the reform agenda. All TVET programmes and institutions will be brought under the Ministry of Education (MOE), to improve coordination, coherence, monitoring, and quality of the offer provided. These institutions, along with their budgets, will fall under the oversight of the MOE and improving data collection and collation from TVET institutions will be an important part of mapping the success of the realignment. The new TVET curriculum will be developed in close cooperation with the industrial, commercial, and business sectors. In line with curriculum reform in other sub-sectors, the new TVET curriculum will be competency based. The competencies will be based on identified skills’ gaps and will be decided on in collaboration with the private sector.”(page 38)
Conclusion
Ghana’s oil wealth has a significant positive impact on areas such as education. For example, this month (November, 2024), the President of Ghana said the free secondary school scheme has benefited some 5.7 million students since its inception.
And, as noted in the previous section there are significant plans to develop the TVET sector, and other parts of education including primary, secondary, higher and continuing education. There have also been investments in infrastructure especially roads and in health provision.
That said, there are still challenges with oil revenue distribution and unintended consequences such as perceived threats to democracy.
A 2023 study entitled “An empirical review of petroleum revenue management and distribution after a decade of oil production and export in Ghana” concluded:
“that petroleum revenue collection and allocation has largely been done with reference to the PRMA. However, ministerial discretion and lack of a clear-cut definition of the priority areas are sources of abuse to oil revenue management. The study, thus, calls for reforms in the management and use of oil revenues to help ensure long-run benefit and sustainability.”
In short, there is still work for the government and other stakeholders in Ghana to do before deciding whether oil has been a blessing or a curse.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, and headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field offices around the worldto promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank admits the members of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries. Canada is a member. From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members.
The ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank.
The ADB funds multiple projects in Asia and the Pacific and I had the privilege of working on such a project in Sri Lanka, as a consultant with GOPA, a German consulting firm. The bank advertises consulting opportunities for both individuals and companies. Most of these requests for individual consultants are for nationals, for example, in Viet Nam, the project would seek Vietnamese nationals. But there is often a sprinkling of requests for international consultants. My project was in technical, vocational education and training (TVET) which falls under the umbrella of “Education” in the categories of projects the ADB supports.
To learn more about the bank, its mission and activities, I recommend that you visit its main website which contains links to its structure, projects, partners, financing and more.
There are many ways to engage with the ADB. Check the tab “Work with Us” on the ADB Main page, and the following screen appears. Click on an item to explore your particular interest.
My post today focuses on opportunities for individuals who would like to explore assignments as a consultant working on ADB projects.
Consultants
If you click “Consultants” on the above page, the system takes you to a list of frequently asked questions. Select “How can I become adb consultant” and you are taken to a page with a ream of useful information.
ADB engages individual consultants and consulting entities (firms, universities, NGOs, etc.) for a wide range of assignments. Individuals wishing to consult for ADB must meet all of the following criteria:
There is plenty to study in the links posted above and I invite you to explore them on your own.
Reality Check
My experience applying to the ADB as an individual Canadian consultant has not been encouraging. The selection process is rigorous and my sense (unproven) is the staff who select consultants develop a cadre of favorites into which it is hard to enter. My work in Sri Lanka was conducted as part of a consulting firm’s bid and for many new consultants contacting companies short-listed for ADB assignments, may be a better alternative.
My next post will provide some advice on pursuing this option.
PLEASE SEND ANY COMMENTS ON THIS POST TO: aeshears@northstarskillsfordevelopment.ca
