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      The TVET Blog

    Adapting to Global Trends in Asia-Pacific

    May 13th, 2009
    Prof. Shyamal Majumdar

    Prof. Shyamal Majumdar; Director General CPSC

    At the outset, I would like to convey my appreciation to UNEVOC and the facilitators of the TVETipedia. Obviously this is an excellent platform to exchange insights and views on the ongoing issues that cut across TVET. I congratulate UNEVOC for this innovative project, and thank Dr. Rupert Maclean, immediate past Director of UNEVOC, for setting the ball rolling with his maiden blog posting.

    Without much ado, I want to share something about the global and regional trends that have profound implications in the education sector, broadly; and in TVET, particularly. There have been rapid changes that are taking place in the economic, social and technological fronts.

    For example, the major shift in technology is dominated by the move from the traditional focus into emerging new technologies. The trend of new technology is moving from narrow band to broad band, divergent to convergent, wire to wireless, local to global, electronic to integrated, and finally from  Petro-based to Agro-based energy.

    Changing paradigms, on the other hand, have become observable in the economic front, turning the old manufacturing economy into becoming more service-oriented. Similarly, production worker are becoming much more knowledge-based with their output turning from product to intangible deliverables.

    Therefore, TVET systems in Asia and the Pacific region must adapt with globalization broadly characterized by ICT revolution, emergence of knowledge-based economy, rapid knowledge and skills obsolesces. All create a demand for highly-competitive and skilled workforce for employability and fitness in today’s world of work.

    Recognizing this, Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), as an inter-governmental organization in TVET in Asia and the Pacific region, develop opportunities for responding to the emerging issues at hand. In brief, let me share that CPSC has the mandate to assist in improving TVET systems in its participating countries, now consisted of 17 active members. CPSC is governed by the Governing Board as the highest policy making body of the College. Under the Board’s directions, CPSC is responsible in identifying key issues and concerns to better understand them, and thereby mobilize action-oriented and capacity-building program and initiatives. The pressing challenges posed to us include, among others:

    • Widening the reach of TVET: Providing TVET access for all
    • Reorienting TVET to include skill needs of informal sector
    • Developing National Qualification Framework and Skill Standards in respective countries
    • Developing Regional Accreditation and Certification System
    • Developing Demand Driven TVET System to reduce mismatch
    • Emphasizing Modular Employable Skills and Entrepreneurial skills in TVET curriculum
    • Integrating Education for Sustainable Development in TVET
    • Creating opportunities for vertical mobility in TVET
    • Strengthening Private Public Community partnership model
    • Encouraging innovation & creativity for producing Knowledge Worker
    • Capacity building for growing labor market in Emerging Technology; and
    • Developing Generic Skills for Life Long Learning

    I believe, and support the earlier idea mentioned by Dr. Maclean, that there is no single solution fit for all. Every country, therefore, must develop a mechanism that fits its priorities and country settings and challenges.

    CPSC is more than happy to mobilize specific actions with focus on training and development, research and development, promotion of ICT in education, strengthening public-private partnership in TVET, supporting policy advisory requirements within the region and setting TVET system reform agenda. In fact, some few suggestions are being championed by CPSC for specific country clusters, with the aim to bring reform strategies in TVET close to what we think match the urgent needs in countries with common characteristics. While the suggestions below are indicative, they are not exhaustive, and only serve as guideposts to consider.

    The following are suggested thrust areas which countries can lay emphasis on to allow dramatic interventions through TVET.

    For low-income countries (LIC):

    • managerial skills
    • informal sector
    • entrepreneurship skills
    • skills standards
    • demand-driven TVET

    For middle-income countries  (MIC):

    • service sector
    • skills for knowledge economy
    • informal sector
    • entrepreneurial skills

    For high-income countries (HIC):

    • Innovative skills
    • Cross-cultural
    • Regional integration
    • Emerging technology

    Cross-cutting themes that are not to be missed out by all clusters are sustainable development, quality management, public-private partnership, accreditation and certification of TVET programs and institutions, and life-long learning.

    Policy initiatives and strategy developments are diverse and manifold. Owing to the uneven development of TVET systems in the region, and now the financial melt-down with cascading effect and deepening impact to all countries in all regions,  there cannot be a single solution fit for all.

    ILO has predicted critical times ahead as it plotted growing pattern of unemployment trends starting last year. Considering that based on experience, the longer people stay out of work, the more their “employability’ deteriorates, making it harder to get back into work, TVET must be linked with protecting the skilled workforce in the face of financial crisis, at the same time, skilling and re-skilling those with high potential to be absorbed by the emerging industries which uphold higher competencies and competitiveness once the economy starts to boom again.

    Where are we heading to?

    While financial strategies are in place to address the crisis, we in the TVET sector  must identify new way of thinking and approaches, cognizant of the strengths and potential of the country’s human resources and without ignoring the key thrust areas where TVET provisions can focus on.

    In the context of the emerging problems affecting all industries now, there is a need to be more strategic in defining where TVET is headed to and how it is placed as an effective skills training platform for creating competitive and highly-competent  individuals to buffer the effect of financial shocks to the workforce’s employment and employability.

    Strategically, we must focus on:

    • Technical Skills development
    • Multiple-skilling (those with technical skills should possess other competencies)
    • Re-skilling
    • Skills projections (based on emerging technologies once business turns up again)

    In conclusion, any TVET policy must take into account diversity within the region and address it accordingly to the specific challenges faced by the respective countries.

    May 2009

    Prof. Shyamal Majumdar, Ph.D., Director General, CPSC

    Posted in TVET Issues | 1 Comment »

    Recent Trends in TVET

    April 1st, 2009
    Rupert Maclean

    Rupert Maclean; Foundation Director of UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET

    I am delighted to contribute this item on the occasion of the launch of the new TVET Blog and TVETipedia, both of which are major initiatives of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education in Bonn, Germany.
    On the 31st of March this year I left the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, and will shortly be taking up a new position as Chair Professor of International Education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. I was appointed Foundation Director of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre at the beginning the beginning of 2001, and commenced duties on 1 May that year, and so leave UNEVOC after almost 8 years as Director.
    I therefore want to use this opportunity to cast my mind back over the past eight years, and in so doing to identify just one or two key trends and developments both in the field of TVET, and in UNESCO-UNEVOC, over this period.
    The most dominant development has been an increasing emphasis by UNESCO’s 193 member states on the importance of skills development for employability, with particular reference to technical and vocational education and training. As a result, TVET is a priority area in the programme activities undertaken by UNESCO’s Education Sector. This is to be expected since there is overwhelming evidence to demonstrate that TVET can play an essential role in promoting economic growth and the socio-economic development of countries, with benefits for individuals, their families, local communities and society in general.
    Improving education for the world of work can help improve the incomes of poverty stricken farmers, provide citizens with more choices in their lives, help alleviate poverty, and help empower individuals who would otherwise be marginalised. TVET for the world of work also helps promote good citizenship. In least developed countries more effective TVET skills are especially needed to best cope with the demands of the informal sector.
    Countries believe that TVET has a major contribution to make to the economic and social development of countries. It is also important to reduce the skills gap that exists in many countries (both developed and less developed) between the labour market needs of the countries concerned, and the number and type of work-related skills possessed by their citizens. Certainly TVET is also important, since it is estimated that worldwide some 80% of the jobs undertaken by people require technical and vocational skills.
    However, one common misconception that needs to be corrected is the idea that by investing more resources in TVET that the widespread problem of unemployment (and in particular youth unemployment) will be overcome. It is true that in some countries unemployment partly occurs because individuals do not have the necessary skills to meet labour force needs, but it must also be recognised that unemployment also sometimes occurs because there is not a sufficient supply of employment positions.  So the tendency to stress the supply side of employment, rather than also carefully examining the demand side, needs to be corrected.
    The majority of the countries with which the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre in Bonn works, and the majority of our 277 UNEVOC Centres, are located in the least developed countries (LDC’s), and in other developing countries. As a result in addressing skills development for the ‘new economy’ our emphasis is on these nations. Many of these countries are confronted with rapid transitions in their economies, result from the twin affects of globalisation and technological modernization.
    Still other LDC’s face the unique problems confronting post-conflict nations and societies.
    While both developed and less developed nations face the same types of challenges, the problems encountered in addressing these challenges differ in some respects. It is questionable whether TVET for skills development is easier to accomplish in nations with newly-developed, or developing, TVET infrastructure, or in more established economies. In the former the newest technologies for TVET can be developed, while in the developed countries established systems must be reformed. In the established economies the levels of educational attainment in the workforce and the commitment to continuing, lifelong education already exists, while in LDCs both the infrastructure and the commitment to continuing and lifelong education must be developed, often from ‘scratch’.
    Both types of economies face the difficult problem of unemployment and under-employment. In post conflict nations, such as Afghanistan at the current time, the rehabilitation of TVET physical infrastructure assumes greater importance, but the re-training of human resources is equally important. In these nations, the pre-conflict levels of educational attainment and TVET have, in many instances, provided a solid foundation upon which to rebuild skills for the economy of the future. These phenomena are increasingly affected by changes in the economy and in the technology employed in productive, service and informatics enterprises.
    With regard to important developments in the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET during my eight year term as Foundation Director, I would point to:
    • the continuing expansion of the number of TVET specialists registered for the e-Forum, with over 1,100 currently registered world-wide;
    • the increasing number of UNESCO Member States, and TVET institutions, joining the worldwide UNEVOC Network;
    • the continuing development of the UNEVOC website which has become a much appreciated, cutting edge, resource for TVET researchers, policy makers and practitioners, and which showcases the work of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre with regard to promoting best and innovative practices in TVET.
    • the well developed and internationally respected UNEVOC publications programme, which in addition to a book series, annotated bibliographies and discussion papers on key aspects of TVET, also included two major international handbooks on TVET (the Handbook of TVET Research, edited by Rauner and Maclean; and the International Handbook on Education for the Changing World of Work, edited by Maclean and Wilson)
    • the recent launch of the TVETipedia, which has been developed by UNEVOC in Bonn.
    • an increasing emphasis on developing partnerships between UNESCO-UNEVOC with regard to developing and implementing programme activities, these partnerships involving other UNESCO offices, partner agencies such as InWEnt, CPSC, the ILO and others, and growing partnerships with the corporate sector with particular reference to private-public partnerships.
    Further information about these important developments and initiatives are provided at the UNEVOC website at: www.unevoc.unesco.org
    Rupert Maclean
    Foundation Director
    UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre
    Bonn, Germany

    Posted in TVET Issues, UNESCO | 4 Comments »

    Launch of new TVET blog

    March 19th, 2009

    Welcome to our TVET Blog, a new blog on issues that are of interest for all those who are interested in the area of education for the world of work. The first post will appear on 01 April 2009.  It will be contributed by Mr Rupert Maclean, foundation Director of UNESCO-UNEVOC, UNESCO`s International Centre for TVET located in Bonn, Germany.

    This blog will have various contributors – people who are active in the field, representing various organisations. Once a month, they will share insights on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) issues and hopefully stir lively debates.

    Posted in About the TVET Blog | 8 Comments »