AICS –Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
AICS – the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – is one of key innovations established by the Italian law on international cooperation (Law No. 125/2014). The Agency began operating in January 2016, with the aim of aligning Italy with its principal European and global partners in the endeavor of development. Its basic model reflects that used in the main European countries, and it must comply with the demand for more professional and innovative forms of cooperation, involving the methodological flexibility necessary in a continuously evolving scenario.
The Agency headquarters are in Rome. AICS runs another base in Florence and 20 field offices worldwide for assessing local needs, implementing development initiatives, monitoring results and building partnerships on the ground. According to the law, the Agency’s mission is to “perform technical and operational activities associated with the examination, development, financing, management and control of the cooperation initiatives”.
Strategies
For Italy, international cooperation is not only “an integral and qualifying aspect of Italy’s foreign policy” (article 1 of Law 125), but also its fulfillment… almost a new and more modern form of foreign policy. The ultimate goals of development cooperation are outlined in the first articles of the Law: eradication of poverty, reduction of inequality, promotion of human rights and gender equality, support for liberal democracy and the establishment of the rule of law. In other words, development is not framed as an “economic agenda” but a program of human promotion.
Goals
Law 125 indicates the goals of cooperation as including the eradication of poverty, the reduction of inequalities, the protection of civil rights and personal dignity – including gender equality and equal opportunity – as well as the prevention of conflict and support for peace processes.
SEE Project - Sustainable Education and Entrepreneurship: towards an equitable and inclusive VET ecosystem
The project Sustainable Education and Entrepreneurship: towards an equitable and inclusive VET ecosystem (SEE Project, AID 013244/10/4) is an initiative financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
The project is implemented by a broad and qualified partnership, with Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS) as the lead organisation, and the involvement of Federazione Centro Nazionale Opere Salesiane Formazione Aggiornamento Professionale (CNOS-FAP), Don Bosco Youth Network - West Africa Organization (DBYN), E4Impact Foundation Impresa Sociale, E35 Fondazione per la progettazione internazionale, the West African Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture (WACWISA - University for Development Studies) and Roma Capitale.
The initiative aims to respond to structural challenges affecting young people in Ghana, including high unemployment, limited access to inclusive and quality education, outdated teaching methodologies, insufficient teacher training, persistent gender stereotypes, and a significant mismatch between TVET provision and labour market needs.
By strengthening the TVET system, the project aims to improve the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education, equipping young people with the technical, professional, and entrepreneurial skills required by the labour market. Through enhanced education quality, stronger school-to-work transition mechanisms, and the promotion of entrepreneurship, the initiative addresses the root causes of youth unemployment while expanding access to decent and sustainable employment opportunities.
Objectives
Overall Objective
Specific Objective
Expected Results
TRAINING OFFER
The training offer is promoted and improved through the strengthening of technical and teaching quality, and the digitalisation of vocational education and training.
GUIDANCE AND TRANSITION
The TVET ecosystem is strengthened through the enhancement of career guidance services and support for school-to-work transition.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship is fostered through the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, support for business creation within vocational training centers (VTCs), and the consolidation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the TVET system.
