Medical training is inadequate and medicines and stocks are often unavailable. There is strong government commitment to development, but the capacity of the public sector is severely constrained by a lack of professional skills and inadequate finance and infrastructure. The VSO programme Education is the major focus of the VSO programme in Ethiopia, and the programme is diversifying to address the severe shortage of professional, technical and skilled people in a range of priority sectors, particularly in in the least developed regions. Several volunteers work directly with Regional Education Bureaux, where they can develop methodology and appropriate curricula. Future placements will support distance education for schools.
Volunteers also provide training in the medical, engineering and agricultural sectors.
Current placements include an epidemiologist working in a college of medical science and a botany instructor working in a college of forestry. During 2001, VSO plans to investigate the potential for supporting placements in the technical and vocational sector. Other volunteers improve the organisational capacity and effectiveness of government and non-government organisations who are working in priority sectors such as water and sanitation, food security, health care and education. VSO wants to increase its involvement in this area by placing VSO trainers in management, financial and business skills and as operational professionals who can share their skills and increase their colleagues work capacity. Volunteers will support these organisations with both technical and management skills.