Responding to the Changing Needs of the Labor Market: Overview of the Country’s TVET

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Written for the Second Congressional Commission on Education and based on existing research, this Policy Note provides a snapshot of the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET). It finds that enrollment and graduation from TVET programs have increased over time, but the COVID-19 pandemic has impeded this progress. People are more inclined to seek community-based training programs than enterprise-based training programs. In terms of reasons for taking TVET, participants are starting to appreciate the program’s value in upskilling and retooling beyond just gaining employment opportunities. This Note also highlights various issues and concerns surrounding the regulation and implementation of TVET. It reveals that there appears to be a stronger emphasis on achieving equity than TVET’s primary goal of producing graduates with skills that meet the constantly evolving demands of the labor market. To attain the policy objectives of TVET, the authors recommend (1) promoting TVET’s responsiveness to the needs of industries, (2) striking a balance between equity and efficiency goals without compromising one over the other, and (3) enhancing the training providers’ capacity to deliver flexible training while acknowledging the different capacities of TVET clients.