The Strengthening Education for Mining in Ethiopia (STEM) project is a five year, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded project with the ultimate outcome of “increasing the number of Ethiopian men and women with relevant skills and qualifications for work in the mining sector in Ethiopia”. The primary project stakeholders are the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoMPNG) as well as the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Federal TVET Agency, the Regional TVET Bureau, Shire and Axum Polytechnic Colleges and four selected Ethiopian universities (all of which offer earth sciences (geology) and/or mining engineering programs at the undergraduate level). These include Addis Ababa University (AAU), Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (AASTU), Mekelle University (MU) and Axum University (AXU).
The project has two key outcomes:
- Improved capacity of Earth Science and Mining Engineering (ESME) programs to produce graduates, especially females, who have the environmental and technical knowledge and skills required by the mining sector; and,
- Increased relevant technical, vocational and employment skills by local community members, especially women in communities around mine sites and in mining hubs
- The Lower level results include in particular: E
- nhanced capacity (including curriculum, resources and facilities)of select universities (AAU,AASTU,MU&AXU) to deliver mining related knowledge and skills to male and female university students; and,
- Improved practical skills and knowledge related to the mining sector by university instructors
The STEM project has a mandate in building the capacity of higher education institutions to better prepare Ethiopian men and women for work in the mining sector. The project targets building the capacity of university instructors of Earth Science and Mining Engineering departments to maximize student success, particularly female students. The project also aims to identify gender equality issues for female professionals pursuing careers in the mining sector, and to build the capacity of University instructors and staff (management and support staff) on gender equality issues in mining. The objectives are to build awareness about these issues and to increase the capacity of departments to address female students’ concerns. This includes developing a gender strategy to maximize female student success, and improving awareness and understanding of both academic and administrative staff and management. It is expected that this would lead to reduction or elimination of barriers faced by female students in mining related education, such that they will benefit from employment opportunities in the mining sector.
