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As one of five children of a single mother in Huehuetenango, Luis Fernando Alva Cifuentes draws motivation to succeed from his family. His family has inspired his dedication to his studies, as his mother and older sister have helped Luis throughout secondary school, ensuring he was able to earn scholarships and awards. After finishing secondary… Read more A Turning Point: How the Advance Program Helps Luis Succeed

In a competitive job market, a degree alone might not be a sufficient qualification for a job. As employers demand increasingly more qualified job candidates, students must look for new ways to differentiate themselves beyond simply their academic experiences. Internships can be a critical way for students to gain experience outside the classroom, with a… Read more Practice Makes Perfect: The Advance Program’s Work with Internships

Written by: Cait-Amoi Goulbourne Introducing a new program in any training institution means both faculty and students must be prepared for the new curriculum. This preparation, however, entails much more than building skills in course development and delivery. For Alia Wedderburn, head of the School of Aesthetics and Cosmetology at Excelsior Community College, professional development… Read more Learning by doing: How professional development opportunities changed one teacher’s perspective

One of the most effective ways to reach objectives and overcome problems is to unite efforts for a common goal. In this spirit, Honduras has developed a partnership for education and workforce so that key actors, such as the Secretary of Education, USAID and the private sector, could come together through seminars and workshops to… Read more One plus one will always equal more than two

Eunice Cristel Marroquín studies in the Hotel Management and Gastronomy technical degree program at the Universidad Rafael Landivar (URL).  Cristel first learned about the Advance Program through her participation in the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program called, Grupo de Jovenes Constuctores.  The program provides support to youth between the ages of 16 and 24, that is unemployed and out of school.  The program offers job placement services, support… Read more An entrepreneurial journey in Guatemala

In December 2018, the Advance Program in Honduras designed and implemented a workshop for 32 faculty and staff from the technical degree programs Auxiliary Nursing and Web Design & Development at the Centro Universitario Tecnologico (CEUTEC).  The objectives for this event were two-fold, (1) work on the curriculum development of the two degree programs Advance… Read more Improving curricular revision processes in Honduras to strengthen technical degree programs

Written by: Cait-Amoi Goulbourne The Advance Program, a five-year regional technical education strengthening program funded by USAID and implemented by FHI 360 in Honduras, Guatemala, and Jamaica, is on a journey to prepare Jamaican youth for the world of work. In Jamaica, Advance works with the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica to strengthen degree… Read more Creating Mentorship Opportunities for Jamaican Youth

Aeon Chintersingh is living his dream. He gets to study animation at the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) after receiving a scholarship through the Advance Program.

Higher Education and Private Sector Forum brings new opportunities for schools and industry leaders  “No student should leave university without work experience!” This charge for Andrea Dempster-Chung, attracted resounding applause from an energized group of private businesses and associations, and faculty and staff from technical tertiary institutions. Dempster-Chung said this, while highlighting opportunities in the… Read more Bringing partnerships to life

How do we make education sustainable? That was the theme at the 2019 Comparative & International Education Society (CIES) Annual Conference – Education for Sustainability in San Francisco, California. More than three thousand participants from different nationalities, countries, organizations, and universities participated in panel presentations, round table discussions, workshops, and networking events