Participation of National Team of Armenia in
“WorldSkills International 2013” competition
“WorldSkills International” organization was established in 1946, in Spain to convince youngsters, their parents and employers that their future depended on an effective system of preliminary (artisan) and middle vocational education.
With that purpose, in 1950, in Madrid, “WorldSkills International” competition was organized for the first time. Competitors from Portugal and Spain participated in that competition.
The competitions are organized every 2 years. In present, 65 countries are members of “WorldSkills International” organization. Armenia has become associate member since 2012 with initiative and financial support of German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ GmbH). The representing organization of Armenia is National Centre for Vocational Education and Training Development (NCVETD) and the latter received the certificate of membership.
“WorldSkills International” 42nd competition took place in Federal Republic of Germany (Leipzig) from June 26 to July 8, 2013.
53 countries, 999 competitors in 46 skills and 964 experts participated in the competition. The national team of Armenia participated with the following 3 skills: jewelry, cooking and fashion technology.
The staff of national team of Armenia is the following.
- Official Delegate – Tatevik Gasparyan, Head of NCVETD
- Technical Delegate – Vahagn Hovhannisyan, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Project Manager
- Cooking Expert – Garik Gevorgyan, Executive Director of “Armenian Cookery Traditions Development and Protection” NGO
- Jewelry Expert – Lilit Petrosyan, Yerevan Jewelry Factory, Head of Technical Division
- Fashion Technology Expert – Seda Manukyan, ATEX Fashion Center, Designer
- Cooking competitor- Arayik Amazyan, Yerevan State Financial and Economical College
- Jewelry competitor- Aram Avetisyan, Yerevan State Regional College N 1
- Fashion Technology competitor- Arpine Ghukasyan, Yerevan State Humanitarian College
- Team leader – Karine Antonyan, Yerevan State Regional College N 1.
The Head of Department of Preliminary (artisan) and Middle Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Armenia Robert Abrahamyan (Coordinator of national team of Armenia) and Senior Project Manager of Competence Center Human Capacity Development of GIZ Michaela Opfferman- Gärtner had arrived Leipzig to encourage national team and to observe how competition proceeds.
As the national team of Armenia participated in competition for the first time, it could not pretend to medals by the defined order, though the selected points for the 3 professions stated about the successful participation of the team. The points are the following
- Jewelry- 467 points, 61 points less from maximum point registered in the competition
- Cooking- 456 points, 87 points less from maximum point registered in the competition
- Fashion technology- 450 points, 90 points less from maximum point registered in the competition.
Aram Avetisyan was recognized as the best participant of the national team of Armenia.
The participation of Armenia in “WorldSkills International” competition recorded the fact, that the current reform process in VET system can be assessed positively.