GAN Networks
GAN’s global reach comes through local Networks, established in 16 countries across the globe. Each GAN Network embeds the GAN concept within in the national context so that while the broad aim of facilitating and promoting work-based learning (WBL) is the same, the work program and ways of working are aligned with the local context and priorities.
Each GAN Network comprises local stakeholders who are committed to work-based learning, most notably private sector representatives. Hosted by national institutions, including employer federations, businesses, and training organisations, they are well placed to raise awareness of WBL and advocate for effective policy and practice in their region.
Three GAN Networks – GAN Argentina, GAN Australia and GAN Guatemala – are represented on the GAN management board.
Hosted by NEF
GAN Networks in Europe
GAN France
Host: ENGIE Group
Priorities: GAN France focuses on the following action points: relocate apprentices not hired by large companies to SMEs; strengthening the appeal of apprenticeships and specific sectors; modernizing training tools with a focus on public-private partnerships; allow international and multi-company training programmes based on an Erasmus apprenticeship model; designing training programs in line with company needs.
Highlights: Launched in 2018, GAN France has organised two editions of a National Apprenticeship Day.
GAN Networks in Africa
GAN Malawi
Host: Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM).
The Network: GAN Malawi was launched as part of a Mastercard Foundation funded project, Promoting Apprenticeships as a Path for Youth Employment in Tanzania and Malawi.
Priorities: Among the priorities is sourcing funds to support a project for implementing job matching for youth, with GAN Malawi creating a database of interns for matching with companies.
GAN Namibia
Host: Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF).
Priorities: GAN Namibia’s priorities include assisting with the selection and placement of apprentices, promoting the importance of apprenticeships among employers, providing support to member companies on apprenticeships and internships, and forging partnerships with other organisations.
Highlights: In 2021 GAN Namibia launched two new initiatives. In October, GAN Namibia celebrated its first Girls Day Namibia, a day to create awareness among girls about career opportunities in the technical fields. GAN Namibia in collaboration with the Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF), GIZ Namibia, Commercial Advancement Training Scheme, and the Namibia Training Authority, organized a visit to the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport), where a group of girls met with established female professionals in technical careers, who shared testimonials and experiences, and presented the various training and career options available.
On 8-11 November 2021 the first National Apprenticeship Week took place in partnership with the Namibian Employers’ Federation (NEF), GIZ Namibia, Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) and the Namibian Training Authority (NTA).
GAN Networks in Latin America
GAN Argentina
Host: Industrial Organization of Argentina (UIA),
The Network: GAN Argentina was launched as part of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) funded project Promoting Apprenticeship as a Path for Youth Employment in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Kenya.
Priorities: GAN Argentina focuses on creating alliances with companies, organisations and education and training centres to promote work-based learning as a means to skills young people for the changing labour market.
Highlights: In October 2020, GAN Argentina and the Varkey Foundation, launched a four-week virtual training programme to explore the link between school-based education and work-based learning so that schools may better guide their students in thinking about their professional future.
With the Argentine-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK), GAN Argentina delivered a “Training of Trainers” programme to participants from industry to learn about the tried and tested methods of the German dual education system on the insertion and onboarding of youth in the workplace.
In July 2021 GAN Argentina hosted the Formando el Futuro event, which marked an important milestone for GAN Global and the GAN USDOL-funded project by supporting knowledge-gathering and sharing, and the cross-pollination of learning among Latin American stakeholders on the topics of return on investment (ROI) in work-based learning and skills. More than a thousand registrants joined the conference, including public and private sector representatives, international organizations such as ILO-CINTERFOR, UNESCO, Inter-American Development Bank, and the OECD, as well as many belonging to the student/teacher community across Latin America.
Publications
GAN Colombia
Host: National Association of Entrepreneurs (ANDI)
Priorities: The Network seeks to connect the initiatives of different stakeholders in the country to raise awareness, influence public policies and reach out to the academic sector, addressing the mismatch between the talent gap and youth unemployment.
Highlights: Between 2020 and 2021, GAN Colombia participated in the project “Skills for Employability”, funded by Microsoft Philanthropies, and published the report “Digital Skills in Colombia: Does the digital future belong to everyone?”. GAN Colombia also organised a three-day event in October 2021 around education and employment of youth.
GAN Costa Rica
Host: Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (UCCAEP).
The Network: GAN Costa Rica was launched as part of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) funded project Promoting Apprenticeship as a Path for Youth Employment in Argentina, Costa Rica, and Kenya.
Priorities: Following the approval of the new law on dual education in 2019, GAN Costa Rica has been focusing on two main areas: providing inputs into the policy design and establishing a centre to assist business in implementing dual education programmes (see below).
Highlights: After the approval of the Dual Education law, the Government of Costa Rica began the process of creating a legal document regulating the implementation of the law and invited GAN Costa Rica to provide inputs from the private sector into the discussions, giving a real chance to influence policy discussions.
Together with the National Institute of Apprenticeship (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje – INA) GAN Costa Rica launched a campaign to sensitize and inform the various actors about the dual education process and the changes instituted by the new law.
In response to the approval of the dual education law, and in collaboration with UCCAEP, GAN Costa Rica launched the Business Assistance Center for Dual Education to help interested companies implement dual education programs.
On 5 September 2019, GAN Costa Rica hosted the TEDxZapote on lifelong learning. The event was attended by more than 400 vulnerable youth from the country including youth from marginalised communities, refugees and migrants. The speakers addressed motivation, values, exchange and resilience that drive learners to overcome obstacles and strive to achieve their goals as well as the life settings and circumstances that offer opportunities for learning.
To bridge the digital divide and foster employability for vulnerable youth, GAN Costa Rica, in alliance with Accenture, trained more than 70 young vulnerable people in digital literacy and soft skills through the +Competencias platform.
GAN Guatemala
Host: Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF)
Priorities: GAN Guatemala has identified a number of challenges for the implementation of WBL programs, among them, the lack of legal certainty to institutionalize dual education and lack of understanding regarding the forms of implementation.
The possibility of strengthening WBL and dual education to assist in economic recovery is now well understood, and will imply strong public-private coordination and partnership. GAN can support the process of collecting members’ experiences to learn about their solutions in the adaptation of programs.
Highlights: In 2020, GAN Guatemala developed a Business Toolkit, which provides information for organisations looking to implement WBL programs.
In 2021, GAN Guatemala signed cooperation agreements including with the Ministry of Economy and Swisscontact. Find out more about their plans for 2022 here. The Network also launched a bi-monthly publication on dual education to share updates and news about WBL in Guatemala.
GAN Networks in Asia Pacific
GAN Australia
Host: Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN).
Priorities: GAN Australia aims to strengthen the commitment and visibility of companies’ and organisations’ engagement in apprenticeships and traineeships, and to share the best practices in on-the-job training. It aims to encourage a network of committed companies and organizations, at the global and local levels, to support effective knowledge sharing action programs and partnerships and to scale up international cooperation to this effect.
Highlights: Among GAN Australia’s main initiatives are the Apprenticeship Vacancy Index, an interactive dashboard that showcases the number of advertised apprenticeship and traineeship job vacancies as well as the top industries and occupations.
GAN Australia established an International Apprentice Scholarship providing the opportunity to the winner to experience how apprenticeships and traineeships are delivered abroad, investigate alternative technologies and work methods, and consider the application of the learnings to their apprenticeship in a local context.
In 2020-2021 GAN Australia participated in the “Skills for Employability” project, funded by Microsoft Philanthropies, and delivered a digital skilling situational analysis providing a snapshot of the digital skills in the country.
GAN New Zealand
Host: Skills Consulting Group
Priorities: GAN New Zealand aims to strengthen organisational engagement in apprenticeships, while sharing global perspective and best practice in the areas of apprenticeships, mentoring and on-the-job training. Focus areas include employer advisory services, degree and graduate apprenticeships, improving participation and achievement, and ensuring female representation.
Highlights: In 2020-2021 as part of the GAN Global’s Skills for Employability project, GAN New Zealand developed a national digital skilling situational analysis and convened on 9 June a webinar to discuss the effects of COVID-19 on female employees, their appetite to retrain or take up a trade, the benefits of an inclusive culture, the importance and impact of introducing young women to careers in tech, and the global perspective on a gender inclusivity focus.
In November 2021, the host of GAN New Zealand co-organized in collaboration with Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology) and Education New Zealand, the inaugural APAC TVET Forum to share knowledge and insight on best practice across TVET in the Asia-Pacific. The event brought together top-tier keynotes and fuelled discussions around the topics of digital transformation, the future of skills recognition and credentials, modern apprenticeships, skilling public private partnerships, upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning, as well as youth employment.
