Announcement of World Bank Assists Vocational Training and Technological Development in Uruguay on June 15, 1978

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ . •World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A. • Telephone: (202) 393-6360 BANK NEWS RELEASE NO. 78/113 JUNE 15, 1978 WORLD BANK ASSISTS VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN URUGUAY A vocational training and technological development project in Uruguay wi 11 be assisted by a $9.7 million World Bank loan. The project is designed to support the Government's efforts to rehabilitate the economy and expand non-traditional exports. The project will include a national vocational training program, to be implemented by the newly established Vocational Training Council, to meet the training needs of the export-oriented industrial sector. It will also provide a technological development component, through the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay, to assist the Government and the • private sector in selecting appropriate technologies and in improving and expanding quality control services for exports. Total costs are estimated at $ l 6. 4 mi 11 ion. The majority of the 16,200 workers who will benefit from the vocational training program will be already employed adults, participating i'n ski 11 upgrading courses to enhance their p reduct i vi ty. The project wi 11 provide training annually to 7,800 supervisors and workers under in-plant schemes, 6,400 rural workers through mobile training units, and only 2,000 workers in a fixed vocational center. Four industrial sub-sectors (food, leather, textiles and process industries) and facilities for metrological and materials testing work will be assisted under the technological devel- opment component through the establishment of laboratories and pi lot plants; fac~lities for information, industrial design and other services will also be supported under the project. The $9.7 million loan for the Republica Oriental del Uruguay will have a term of 15 years, including 3 years of grace, with interest at 7.5% per annum. • NOTE: Money figures are expressed in U.S. dollar equivalents • FORM NO. 1121 (5-76) T E C HN I CA L D A T A PROJECT: COUNTRY: TOTAL COST: Vocational Training and Technological Development Uruguay $16.4 mill ion • BANK FINANCING: $957 mill ion for a term of 15 years, including 3 years of grace, with interest at 7.5% per annum. OTHER FINANCING: Government of Uruguay, $2 million Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU), $2.2 mill ion Mortgage Bank of Uruguay, $2.5 mill ion IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONS: i) Consejo de Capacitacidn Profesional (COCAP), c/o Minis- terio de Educaci6n y Cultura, Sarandi 444, Montevideo; ii) Laboratorio Tecnol6gico de1 Uruguay (LATU), Galicia 1133, Montevideo. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I) Vocational Training Component: (a) Construction, furnishing and equipping of a new vocational training center in Montevideo; (b) six mobile training units; (c) in-plant training programs; (d) technical assistance for institutional development and for a preinvestment facility; and (e) surveys. I I) Technological Development Component: (a) Construction, furnishing and equipping of one general chemical and microbiological laboratory, four sector specific laboratories, five pilot plants, a materials testing laboratory, and ancillary facilities; (b) furnishing and equipping of a metrological laboratory and facilities • for information, industrial design and packaging services; and (c) technical assistance. PROCUREMENT: Contracts for the procurement of furniture and equipment wi 11 be awarded on the basis of international competitive bidding in accordance with Bank guidelines. With the exception of the mechanical and electrical equipment for the new LATU buildings, furniture and equipment contracts of less than $50,000 will be procured on the basis of local competitive bidding procedures. The latter will be l irnited to aggregates of $120,000 for the vocational training component and $375,000 fer the technological development component. Domestic manufacturers tendering under international competitive bidding procedures will receive a margin of preference of 15% of the CIF cost or the applicable custom duty, whichever is lower. Civil works contracts for the COCAP Training Center will be undertaken on the basis of local competitive bidding procedures. CONSULTANTS: About 20.75 man-years of specialist services in planning and organization of vocational training and supervisor training programs, textiles and leather training, agricultural training, and evaluation, analysis of training costs, and certification and trade testing wi 11 be required. Also 12 man-years of consultant services for the technological development component will be needed. EST IMATED COMPLETION DATE: 1982 0 •