The Contribution of Community Skills Training Centers In Enhancing Rural Development: A Case of Awi Administrative Zone
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Date
2003-06
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Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the CSTCs' effort to achieve goals of their
establishment and thereby their contributions to enhance rural development. Questionnaires
and interviews were used for data collection from former trainees, center coordinators and
former trainers. The data were analyzed by employing various statistical tools including
frequencies, percentages, chi-square test, and qualitative descriptions depending on the nature
of the data. The study found out that trainers were traditional craftsmen; peasants were not
well addressed by the training program; the emphasis of the Centers has been on few fields of
training and only on the provision of skills in these fields for three months; the current
organizational structure of the CSTCs has become a bottleneck in their activities; the
participation of the nearby communities in the Centers' activities has been minimal; no
curricular materials were available at the Centers; and no purposeful evaluation was
conducted. Furthermore, the study has revealed that Centers did not introduce new and
appropriate technology to their respective locales nor did upgrade the indigenous traditional
skills; and only a quarter of the trainees were engaged in the occupation for which they were
trained as the majority of the trainees have abandoned their fields and engaged in other
occupations due to financial problems and the inadequacy of the training program. Finally, the
study was summarized, conclusions were drawn, and recommendations to vitalize the CSTCs
were made
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Keywords
Enhancing Rural Development