TVET is paving the way to a transformative future

As economies across the world grapple with recessions and a tough economic season, the rate of youth unemployment in traditional white-collar jobs has sharply declined. The time is ripe for equipping young people with technical and vocational skills as a springboard for self-employment.

According to the “International Labour Organization Monitor on the World of Work -11th Edition Report”, global unemployment in 2023 is expected to fall to 191 million, corresponding to a global unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent of the employable population. Amid these inherent challenges lies an opportunity to create a transformative future.

With technological advancements and shifting labour market dynamics on the rise, these trends are increasingly calling for agile and adaptable skill sets. Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) plays a critical role in the recovery and transformation of education systems and labour markets worldwide. Germany is a stellar example of TVET education.

The German dual-TVET system is well-known for combining theoretical classroom learning with practical on-the-job training, which has gained widespread recognition for producing a highly skilled workforce that meets the needs of various industries. This system creates potential benefits for companies and industries to partner with the education sector and empower their in-house skills development.

The Korean TVET system is also one to emulate, especially with the move toward a decentralised skills development system to induce more employer engagement in TVET governance and financing in order to better provide human resources with skills needed in the labour market.

Productive work

In Kenya, it is estimated that, every year, 900,000 young people join the workforce but over 600,000 of them do not find gainful and decent opportunities for productive work.

The government has focused on revamping our entire education system responsive to the emerging trends while seeking to transform the lives and livelihoods of our youth. One of the key focus areas has been reforms in the TVET sector which are meant to align training with the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta) to enable youth to acquire skills for green jobs and mitigate climate change. These reforms have seen student enrollment in TVET institutions increase from about 90,000 in 2018 to 320,000 this year.

However, there are ways in which key players in the industry can complement these governmental efforts.

As the world marked the United Nation’s International Youth Day, themed “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”, certain factors emerge as critical in how different stakeholders can play a role in promoting TVET education to fill this gap in the global market.

Strategic partnerships: TVET education is demand-driven and future-focused, hence aligning the TVET programmes to industry demand is a top priority. Both the private and public sectors are working to improve the quality of TVET education.

The private sector particularly has an important role to play in promoting the quality of TVET education both as an employer and a training provider to foster TVET-Industry linkages. It is, therefore, important to open venues for interaction and knowledge exchange at the national, county and organisational levels because the journey towards a transformative future will be accelerated by opening the venues for interaction and collaboration through mutually beneficial partnerships with each other. 

Focus on training and equipping: A key role of TVET education is to provide training opportunities and career pathways for the increasing number of primary and secondary school graduates. TVET education therefore comes in to not only enhance the informal sector by offering technical and life skills to the youth but also to the trainers. TVET education in other jurisdictions has advanced through raising the profile of students and educators and working with TVET teachers and students across the globe.

Cost-effective

Training is, however, insufficient without commensurate investments in cost-effective and proven solutions to fast-track life-long learning and skills development for today and future generations. This calls for equipping learners with the necessary technical and life skills to empower them during the post-learning period. If the TVET programme is focused on construction, it is imperative for the programme or institution to empower students with starter construction tool kits to kick-start the work life and ensure a seamless transition to the job market.

Shift the narrative: As companies strive to tackle the world’s most pressing social problems and advance equitable outcomes, the narrative is changing from mere philanthropy to Shared Value Initiatives. These focus on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress on a long-term basis.

 Through Shared Value, an organisation’s policies and operating practices enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions within the communities in which it operates. Shared Value advances the intersection of business and society.

The Family Group Foundation and the USAid-World Vision Tumikia Mtoto Project is an example of an all-inclusive programme that provides technical and vocational skillsets, reproductive health information and services together with financial inclusion to improve the livelihoods of young women, their families and future generations.

Through co-creation, such programmes jointly tackle technical, life skills and soft skills in order to nurture a growth mindset for beneficiaries. Embracing a growth mindset also increases their resilience, motivation and a willingness to take on challenges to achieve personal and professional growth.

Mr Waimiri is the Executive Director, The Family Group Foundation. [email protected].