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Nigel Carpenter Interview for The Australia-Indonesia Centre

How Australia can meet Indonesia’s demand for high quality skills training

In June Susinable Skillsta CEO, Nigel Carpenter, was invited by the Australia Indonesia Business Council Victoria (AIBC) to speak at the Education Panel discussion about education in Indonesia. The conference aimed to unpick some of the key issues in a critical sector for Indonesia, and learn more about the country’s aspirations.

We are sharing an article about how Australia can meet Indonesia’s demand for high quality skills training written by Nigel Carpenter for The Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC) as well as a video interview produced by AIC.

 

 

President Widodo has elevated infrastructure investment to the top priority and has an enormous investment agenda.

In this case it appears likely that a major constraint will be skills. Already, key projects are heavily staffed by foreigners – a practice that Indonesia simply can’t sustain.

Indonesia is a fiercely independent country with an economy that continues to grow. As the Indonesian economy has grown so has the need to improve the education system particularly vocational education.

We found a country with a strong desire to improve its VET system that has a high degree of alignment with industry demand and a practical design that supports the needs of low income communities.

The Australian model, with its well-established industry-based competencies and modular course design, is very often the preferred choice for both qualitative and pragmatic reasons.

Our approach has been to work with Indonesian Ministries that have developed plans to reform VET, take key principles of the Australian VET system, understand the local culture and develop solutions.

Indonesia has the chance to reform its VET picking the best the international education system has to offer.

Nigel Carpenter in West Java to understand local cattle farming with the objective of developing a plan to develop skills and therefore productivity.

Prior to my first trip to Jakarta I was told Indonesia requires a lot of time and patience to succeed, that business is done differently, and a lot of effort is required to understand the culture and build relationships.

All the advice I received has proven true.

The challenge is being prepared to build sound relationships and there’s only one way to do this – be in front of people and let them know you’re truly interested in their problems.

Indonesians tell me they like Sustainable Skills because we’re committed, and we don’t think several visits over six months will deliver success.

By building the relationship and understanding the problem, an Indonesian solution can be developed. Once a relationship and trust has been established then projects will proceed.

There are major VET capacity constraints and a massive need to build skills. For example, Indonesia wants to build 35 GW of energy.

Nigel Carpenter delivered a lecture at Universitas Pendidikan Bandung on what an Indonesian TVET Centre of Excellence could be.

The Indonesian Government estimates the construction and operating of this system will create 1 million jobs. This creates a huge opportunity for Indonesia to build skills and bring more people out of poverty.

These jobs require world standard competencies and a training system that will deliver world standard skills, otherwise more foreigners will be required.

We are working with the Indonesian government to develop plans to seize this opportunity.

Opportunities are not straight forward, and no one would advocate a rush of investments in Australian-styled institutions in environments with very different economic and social drivers, not to mention much lower incomes.

But the risks can be managed and the scale requirements beyond the initial capacity-building are manageable. Yet so far, most of the activity by Australian providers in these markets has a focus on accreditation, implying some of sort of local delivery of Australian courseware.

Australia has an opportunity to not only attract foreign students but to also develop offshore opportunities and extend the value of our education capabilities and expertise. This requires the development of new solutions.

In pursuing our usual work, we identified the need and commercial opportunity to establish an Australian led Indonesian managed stand-alone training centre.

We have identified a strong local partner and have had significant encouragement in testing the proposition with Indonesian industry and government approval authorities.

This opportunity aligns with the very high priority of infrastructure and tourism investment in the Widodo Government’s agenda. We’ve developed a business plan that doesn’t need a change to Indonesian laws.

Sustainable Skills has developed several very interesting opportunities that we will continue to explore and develop. Each requires a local focus and strong guidance from experienced Australian specialists.

This will take time, but we are confident that strong results will emerge from the application of that Australian expertise. We’d welcome partners or supporters in any of these projects.

Source: Australia-Indonesia Centre

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TVET in Vietnam

Current Situation of Technical Vocational Education and Training System in Vietnam

With a population of 94 million and people under the age of 35 accounting for 70 % of this number, the Socialist Republic of  Vietnam is currently one of the most dynamic and fastest growing emerging countries in East Asia region with an annual GDP growth of 6.6%, a GDP per capita of US$ 2,111, and an unemployment rate of 2.2% .

Vietnam is currently transitioning from a centrally planned to a market-based economy, and is now a lower middle-income country with an emerging middle class accounting for 13 percent of the population and expected to reach 26 percent by 2026.

Today education is equitably distributed with primary school enrollment reaching 99 percent of eligible children, and school attendance ratios for boys and girls largely equalized. In 2006, the Law on Gender Equality established the principles of gender equality in a number of fields as well as promoted measures to increase gender equality in the TVET (known as VET in Vietnam) such as ensuring that the proportion of man and females participating in the study and training is equal, and assisting female workers in rural areas to access VET.

In the coming years, Vietnam will need a large number of skilled and productive local workers able to  make the country competitive regionally and globally particularly for the infrastructure, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors. The local young and well-educated population, able to effectively gain knowledge and skills, work efficiently, and embrace new technology and innovation, is key to the Country’s development. The Vietnamese Government has put VET and boosting employment at the heart of its development goals by investing in education approximately 6.3% of GDP, much greater than the average for most low to middle-income nations, as well as some higher income countries such as Australia.

From 2010-2014 the state budget allocated to vocational training was 2.54 billion USD, out of which 40.81% was allocated to capital construction and 21.79% to the national target programmes. TVET in the formal education system is not legally free and institutions are free to determine the fee levels. For public VET institutions, tuition fees for programmes at the secondary and college education levels are capped at approximately 5 USD. However, institutions may add additional charges for special purposes, such as contributions for training materials and books. Private training providers have to recover all costs through tuition fees, and around 15-18% of trainees from lower-income or target groups are exempted from paying tuition fees, partially compensated by state subsidy.

The “Law on Vocational Education and Training” document, entered into force in 2015, regulates the vocational education and training system, stipulates the objectives of VET at the different education levels, and calls for:

  • encourage the private sector to be involved in the provision of VET;
  • support craftsmen and skilled workers in vocational training, especially in traditional vocational and vocations in rural areas;
  • involve socio-political organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations in formulating strategies, planning, and policies regarding VET;
  • develop bridge programmes to facilitate VET students to take programmes as higher education levels in the same or different disciplines.

Current reforms are focused on the implementation of the Law and Vocational Education and Training, and include:

  • reforming the testing and examination procedures;
  • developing policy reforms to improve the quality of teachers and trainers;
  • establishing a network of VET institutions and enterprises;
  • increasing the autonomy of VET institutions.

There are five main challenges to the TVET system identified in Vietnam:

  • adapting the VET system to technological developments;
  • poor ratio of skilled workers working in the sector;
  • skills mismatch affecting productivity;
  • increasing autonomy among VET institutions;
  • outdated technology of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) cannot provide proper employment.

Sustainable Skills is currently exploring opportunities to support the reform of the VET system in Vietnam. In 2015-2016, our organisation was engaged as an implementation partner by the Australian Department of Education and Training to support the development of occupational standards aligned to Industry operational needs in Vietnam, the Philippines and Australia which could be used for benchmarking of qualifications in each of the countries. In this capacity we took part in in-country visits and technical workshops, provided a two-week secondment for TVET professionals from the participating countries, and worked closely with the relevant public sector organisatons to achieve the goals of the project, targeting the development of Industry engagement strategies, the development of regional occupational standards and benchmarking qualifications against these regional standards. Click here to read more about the project.

 

Source: Unesco-Unevoc World TVET Database

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From the Desk of the CEO – July 2018 Newsletter Address

This month, Luke Behncke, Sustainable Skills Director, International Development Services met with Dr Jonah Aiyabei, Professor Catherine Ngila, Mr Julius Alolo and Ms Freda Cheruiyot from the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas (MIOG), Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd (KPC) discussing their training Centre of Excellence and learnings from the Australian TVET experience in building capacity for the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) in East Africa.

MIOG offers training in oil and gas related areas and was initiated as a result to the 3rd Heads of State Summit held in Kigali Rwanda on October 28th, 2013 and accords with the KPC’s ‘Vision 2025’ that aims at establishing an oil and gas investments hub in the region. MIOG is the third Oil and Gas Institute in Africa after Transnet of South Africa and Sonatrach of Algeria, and pioneered Competence Based Education Training for industry professionals with approval by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) in Kenya.

MIOG’s visit to Sustainable Skills was to explore vocational education and training in the Australian context, which is similar to the emerging Kenyan experience, to better facilitate industry-led skills development. Sustainable Skills looks forward to further collaboration in supporting a thriving Kenyan TVET system and making MIOG a key hub of oil and gas workforce development in Africa.

This month, I visited Jakarta to strengthen our partnership with government departments and organisations, NGO’s and local institutions and to further develop TVET capacity building projects. Sustainable Skills is supporting several projects aimed to reform the TVET system in Indonesia, including the new national TVET Centre of Excellence.

I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam and explore potential opportunities to support the national reform of their TVET system. I met with several government departments and NGO’s and will be pursuing opportunities during the coming months. Vietnam is currently one of the most dynamic and fastest growing emerging countries in East Asia region, with a young and well-educated population able to effectively gain knowledge and skills, work efficiently, and embrace new technology and innovation. In the coming years, Vietnam will need a large number of skilled and productive local workers able to make the country competitive regionally and globally particularly for the infrastructure, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors.

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From the Desk of the CEO – June 2018 Newsletter Address

This month, I was invited by the Australia Indonesia Business Council Victoria (AIBC) to speak at the Education Panel discussion about education in Indonesia. The conference aimed to unpick some of the key issues in a critical sector for Indonesia, and learn more about the country’s aspirations.

During the panel, AIBC provided some timely analysis of the key sectors and what it means for educational business and organisations in Australia.

The panel discussion, moderated by Helen Brown, Managing Director, Bisnis Asia, involved Professor Abid Khan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice-President, Global Engagement, Monash University, Elena Williams, Immediate past Resident Director, Australian Consortium for In-County Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), and Sigmund Fritschy, Senior Manager, Strategy and Policy – International Education, Victorian Government. The invitation to represent Sustainable Skills at the panel has been a privilege as well as a recognition of the work we have done over the past two years exploring VET market partnerships in Indonesia, and establishing relationships with Ministries and industry officials.

The panel discussed a number of opportunities which have been created by Indonesia’s desire and need to improve the education sector generally and the vocational education sector specifically. However to succeed in helping Indonesia develop an industry engaged vocational education sector
Australian institutions need to spend the time developing relationships and understanding the culture.

Sustainable Skills during the past 18 months has built strong relationships with a number of Indonesian ministries and government organisations and has developed a menu of very interesting opportunities that we will continue to explore and develop. Each requires a local focus and strong guidance from experienced Australian specialists. This will take time, but we are confident that strong results will emerge from the application of that Australian expertise. We’d welcome partners or supporters in any of these projects.

We are glad to announce that the team which is currently managing the consultancy contract sponsored by the World Bank to address skills imbalances and shortages in Uganda is now complete. Over the past two months, we have gone through a recruitment process to appoint new Team Leader and Senior Consultant. Lisa Giammarco has been appointed to the Team Leader position after her many months of service as the Acting Team Leader and Senior Consultant. Sarah Nalumansi has now joined the Kamapla based team, which comprises Mary Jo Kakinda and Simon Peter Nanagbo, stepping into Lisa’s former role as the new Senior Consultant. Sarah has significant depth and breadth of experience in projects similar to the due diligence activities we are undertaking for the Private Sector Foundation Uganda and will be a great asset to this project. Welcome on board Sarah!

 

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UNEVOC-UNEVOC Publication: Moving Forward – Biennial Report 2016-2017

Unesco-Unevoc in Action – Biennial Report 2016-2017

UNESCO-UNEVOC, the UNESCO spcialized Centre for TVET acting as part of the UN mandate to promote peace, justice, equity, poverty alleviation, and greater social cohesion, has recently published the Moving Forward Biennial Report which gives a comprehensive overview of its activities in TVET over the biennium 2016-2017, and highlights the concerted actions and support to the UNEVOC Network and UNESCO Member States through capacity development, international collaborations and knowledge exchange to advance TVET.

The report details key engagements under each of the five thematic priority areas of UNESCO-UNEVOC: Greening TVET,  Promoting ICT,  Mainstreaming entrepreneurship, Mobilizing youth to promote skills development, and Gender equality.

Greening TVET for integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and climate change actions

Over the course of the biennium, UNESCO-UNEVOC’s engagements in greening TVET included developing strategic partnerships, improving the capacities of UNEVOC Centres and Member States, and building the knowledge resources that reinforce orientation towards greater sustainability and institutional applications. As a result, over 200 TVET institution stakeholders and young people in more than 20 countries have increased their greening TVET capacities and understanding of the issue.

Promoting ICTs in TVET

The integration of ICTs in TVET presents certain challenges such as the disparity between the skills demanded by industry and the competencies of the TVET teachers to impart these to their students, largely due to their limited exposure to new technolgies as well as gaps in their own training.

Mainstreaming entrepreneurship in TVET

One of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on Education is to strengthen ‘skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship’. In line with the UNESCO TVET Strategy (2016–2021), youth employment and entrepreneurship is one of the core thematic priorities for UNESCO-UNEVOC’s activities. During the course of the biennium, the work of UNESCO-UNEVOC in this area focused on supporting TVET institutions in the Member States and the UNEVOC Network to develop and implement effective strategies to strengthen entrepreneurial skills in TVET.

Mobilizing youth to promote skills development

Young people constitute a crucial target group for TVET. UNESCO-UNEVOC pays particular attention to helping young people engage in the promotion of skills development and ensuring that their perspectives are reflected in the policy discussions and programmes. World Youth Skills Day is a UN-recognized initiative that aims to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring that all young people have access to good-quality TVET and skills development opportunities.

Gender equality

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre has been promoting discussions to shed light on issues of gender inequality in TVET, with a particular focus on women’s participation in this sector – the aim being to build a stronger knowledge base founded on good practice that will help guide targeted policies and programmes.

The Biennial Report gives an overview of the UNEVOC Network, consisting of approximately 250 Centres across 165 UNESCO Member States, Capacity Development Programmes, Knowledge Development and Management activities organised by the Centre, Partnership and international collaboration. The last part of the publication introduces the TVET team and the financial report of the biennum.

Download the publication: Unesco – Unevoc Biennial Report 2016-2017

 

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From the Desk of the CEO – April 2018 Newsletter Address

We have recently celebrated one year since the transition from SkillsDMC to Sustainable Skills was completed and we have come a long way from where we began. Over the past 12 moths, our new Sustainable Skills brand has evolved and our organisation is now recognised as a reputable TVET consultancy able to develop, support, and assist effective vocational education and training (TVET) systems worldwide.

I would like to take this opportunity to share our video – presentation which gives an overview of our mission and vision, and includes a very interesting testimonial given by Fidelis Cheelo, who took part in the Capacity Building program we managed in 2015-16 at TEVETA in Zambia.

During the first stage of the Sustainable Skills project, we focussed entirely on exploring and developing new business opportunities across different areas including Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Alongside, we worked to build a team of highly qualified TVET consultants and recruit board directors able to reflect the new scope of our business across a broad range of industrial sectors worldwide.

The second phase saw us concentrating our resources on regions where Sustainable Skills expertise and background can effectively assist to implement a successful reform of the national TVET system, like Indonesia.

Sustainable Skills has now developed a strong position in Indonesia where an important reform of the vocational education system to support the needs of a rapidly emerging economy by improving the quality and competitiveness of his country’s human resources is a priority on the government agenda.

As part of the national TVET reform Indonesia is establishing a new national TVET Centre of Excellence. Last month, I was invited to review the plans and deliver a lecture in Bandung on the challenges and opportunities of establishing the Centre. Development of the Centre of Excellence for TVET in Indonesia will address the fundamental mismatch between training outcomes and industry needs. The objective is to influence the broader Indonesian TVET ecosystem to support students in finding the ‘right training’ at the ‘right time’ for the ‘right job’. It’s about having the right people in the right places.

In July 2017 a significant milestone was achieved as we have been officially awarded a consultancy contract sponsored by the World Bank to address skills imbalances and shortages in Uganda. Client of the contract is the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and this is the first non Australian government contract in the history of Sustainable Skills/SkillsDMC. The first quarter of the project has seen the Sustainable Skills team of TVET experts working on the due diligence and capacity assessment stages and conducting a number of site visits to ensure that applicants supposed to deliver the skills training are fully capable of executing their responsibilities, especially regarding their facility, experience, and expertise.  In February 2018,  I had the pleasure to visit our Kampala based team of exceptionally-qualified local consultants who are delivering the project. The team is currently formed by Mary Jo Kakinda and Simon Peter Nangabo and will increase to 3, based in Kampala, within the next few weeks.

In addition to Indonesia, Myanmar and East Africa, which are currently the most promising opportunities, we have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline. We believe we have built strong business foundation so far and we’ll continue to manage the organisation doing everything we possibly can to succeed and contribute to build effective TVET systems worldwide.

 

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UNEVOC – COL Publication: Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET

Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET

New technology and digitalisation are rapidly transforming the world of work and the demand for skills needed by the industry. In this scenario, TVET can play a crucial role by equipping learners with skills and competencies that match industry demand, thus facilitating people’s access to the labour market throughout life and supporting each countries’ economic growth.  According to Unesco – Unevoc,  a greater integration of ICTs in TVET has come along with a number of challenges including poor digital skills of the trainers and limited access to ICT infrastructures.

Information and communication technology (ICT) encompasses technologies such as radio, television, the Internet and the Web, satellite and Wi-Fi systems, mobile telephony, computer hardware and software, audio- and video-conferencing, virtual reality, social media, wikis, 3D printers and so on, which enable users to access, store, share, and present information.

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the Canada – based intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987 to promote the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies, UNESCO Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development, and the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre have recently launched a joint publication called “Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET”, which presents case studies from around the world and the need of policy reforms.

The publication outlines ways in which use of ICTs and open and flexible means of delivery help enhance learning opportunities. It comprises of inputs from leading experts around the world, including case studies developed by experts from UNEVOC Centres in Germany, Finland, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka.

Drawig on the expertise and experience of  15 contributors, the books examines the potential of TVET to bring education to those who might otherwise be unable to access it, provides insight into — and lessons learned from — different applications of ICTs in TVET around the globe, analyses issues of cost and approaches to planning for successful and sustainable applications of ICTs, and offers recommendations for the international organisations, governments, policy makers, managers and staff responsible for TVET.

The first part of the book sets the context, by introducing the demands and challenges, outlining the range of ICT applications available for teaching and learning which include Distance Education, Open, Blended, Flexible and Mobile Learning, Open Educational Resources and Open Courseware, Massive Open Online Courses, Digital Repositories, Virtual Reality (VR), Simulations, Games and Role Plays, Augmented Reality, and 3D Printing, and explaining how to adopt  ICT-based Applications in TVET. The second part of the book comprises nine case studies from Germany, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Jamaica, Finland, Africa, Cambodia, and Canada. In the third part, the authors explain how to plan for transformation, by providing considerations about costing the introduction of ICTs in TVET, and planning for the use of ICTs at the national and institutional levels.

This book should prove to be a valuable asset for both practising and potential TVET providers.

 

Download the publication: Using ICTs and Blended Learning in Transforming TVET

 

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From the desk of the CEO-March 2018 newsletter address

Our CEO, Nigel Carpenter, delivered a lecture on the challenges and opportunities in establishing a Centre of Excellence focused on industry-led and the Australian TVET experience at the proposed location in Bandung.

Indonesia is currently undergoing a transition phase as it develops to become a knowledge-based economy focused on increased competitiveness, growth and productivity. Skills are significant obstacles in this respect, and the country’s government is investing more in the development of the nation’s education and training system to close these gaps and to transform the Indonesian technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system into one that provides demand-driven programmes, aimed at improving employability and participation in lifelong learning.

To continue Indonesia’s economic expansion President Widodo started an infrastructure development program to help bring more of the population out of poverty. The program requires millions of skilled people that are not available in Indonesia. To address this issue President Widodo instructed his Ministries to make vocational education reform a priority to improve the quality and competitiveness of his country’s human resources. Currently there is a significant mismatch between skills development and industry skill needs.

The main challenges currently facing TVET in Indonesia come down to a lack of engagement with industry and understanding of the demands of the labour market. The skills of the Indonesian workforce do not meet the demands of the labour market. Addressing this skill mismatch supports higher productivity, competitiveness and growth.

National TVET Centre of Excellence

As part of the national TVET reform Indonesia is establishing a new national TVET Centre of Excellence. I was invited to review the plans and deliver a lecture in Bandung last week on the challenges and opportunities of establishing the Centre.
Development of the Centre of Excellence for TVET in Indonesia will address the fundamental mismatch between training outcomes and industry needs. The objective is to influence the broader Indonesian TVET ecosystem to support students in finding the ‘right training’ at the ‘right time’ for the ‘right job’. It’s about having the right people in the right places.

The Indonesian Government recognises that the TVET system must be competency-based with standards pertaining to industry. In effect it must be demand-driven.
Further objectives of the Centre of Excellence are to:

• Open and develop new training programs relevant to the job market
• Develop a research and development centre, which will serve as a reference centre and vocational education policy analysis centre
• Establish and develop a teacher certification program
• Establish and develop a qualified teacher training and education centre
• Work with policy makers to drive change to TVET systems
• Develop equal access to quality job opportunities for all
• Ensure people have the skills needed by the job market

The Centre of Excellence recognises the need to work with Industry to identify Industry’s skills needs and help people graduating from TVET colleges find a job and address the quality of Indonesian teachers and lecturers.
During my visit we discussed many aspects of a successful TVET ecosystem including the following six principles:

• Competency based
• Industry led, stakeholder friendly
• Flexible, scalable and customisable
• Integrated soft skills
• Data driven
• Focused on vocational outcomes

Whilst recognising outcomes are based on a shared responsibility between government, industry and training organisations, we also discussed the importance of Industry’s role:

• Industry involved at every step-in qualification development and implementation (training) and training regulation
• Ultimately, industry is the primary ‘client’ of any TVET system, central to increasing human capital development
• While industry may ‘know’ what it needs, only an effective TVET system can help translate those needs into actionable skills development for the nation’s workforce capability while supporting a growing economy
• Both industry and training providers, supported by the TVET ecosystem as a whole, have a ‘hand-in-glove’ relationship
• The basis of this relationship is an approach to curriculum design and teaching that can support the priorities of both and lead to quality outcomes for students

The Centre of Excellence is in the design phase of determining how it can influence better outcomes. Sustainable Skills is helping to explore how it can influence the broader Indonesian TVET ecosystem and develop the human resource skills and TVET systems needed to support students in finding the ‘right training’ at the ‘right time’ for the ‘right job’.

Sustainable Skills develops, supports and assists effective technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems worldwide.

 

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16-29 March 2018: Open E-Discussion About Lifelong Learning Launched by ILO

ILO Centenary Initiative on the Future of Work (FOW): E-Discussion About Lifelong Learning

Created in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, the Geneva-based International Labour Organization (ILO) is the U.N. agency that brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States , to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. In preparation to its Centenary next year, ILO has launched in 2016 the “Future of Work initiative (FOW)” aimed to understand and respond effectively to the new challenges that the world of work is facing due to a major process of change.

The Global E-discussion about Lifelong Learning (LLL), opened between 16th and 29th March to all the stakeholders of the TVET sector, is one of the initiatives that forms part of the FOW program. This E-discussion aims to bring together representatives of government, education and training institutions, the private sector, workers, academia, and international organisations to discuss concrete policy options in developed and developing countries for promoting LLL.

According to the Glossary of VET prepared by the Australian National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Lifelong Learning is  the process of acquiring knowledge or skills throughout life via education, training, work and general life experiences. Challenges posed by the advent of new technologies, climate changes, and globalisation are significantly transforming the world of work, and the capacity of workers to upskill and shift to new jobs is crucial to determine the sustainability and stability of the economic system. LLL is central to managing the different transitions that workers will face over the course of their life by ensuring that they successfully enter the labour market, continually upskill while in employment, and reskill to take advantage of emerging jobs throughout their careers. In this scenario, national education and training systems can play a pivotal role to ensure equal access to job opportunities for all throughout their life.

People who intend to participate to the e-discussion promoted by ILO are invited to read the Issue Brief ‘Skills Policies and Systems for a Future Workforce’ prepared for the 2nd Meeting of the Global Commission on the Future of Work, and to reflect on a number of key questions about LLL:

1. How can the model of LLL be adapted to cater to a future world of work? What are the building blocks of a well-functioning LLL system?

2. What governance mechanisms will be suitable for the efficient provision of and engagement in relevant LLL for all? What are the respective roles of governments, the private sector and the social partners?

3. What financial mechanisms might be used to encourage the provision of and participation in training; who should bear the cost and how? What are investment priorities for LLL to harness economic growth and minimise social risks?

4. What strategies, policies and incentives will be needed to increase the uptake of LLL?

5. What are the appropriate delivery mechanisms of LLL that will make learning accessible and relevant for youth, adults and older workers, embrace new technologies and forms of learning and balance needs for wide access, flexibility and quality in the learning offer?.

The E-discussion can be easily accessed by visiting the ILO skills for employment website, scrolling down to the “Your Comments” section, and posting comments and observations about LLL.

 

Source:

 

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Technical Vocational Education and Training system in Uganda

Technical Vocational Education and Training system in Uganda

With a population of over 39 million, a youth population of 7.9 million (2015*), and a nominal GDP of 700 USD per capita (2017**),  Uganda has a 2.3% unemployment rate among the total labour force, according to World Bank Data.

Uganda’s TVET mission consists in ensuring that individuals and enterprises acquire the skills they need to raise productivity and income. The TVET system is under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), which is responsible for programme implementation and monitoring, including procedures for planning, budgeting and annual reviews.

The two major sources of TVET funding are the public budget and private households through training fees. The share of TVET in the MoES budget is relatively low, approximately 4% to 7%. Public unit spending is also low by African standards. Training for the informal sector is largely donor-financed.

Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) is Uganda’s apex body for the private sector. It is made up of over 200 business associations, corporate bodies and the major public sector agencies that support private sector growth. Since its founding in 1995, PSFU has served as a focal point for private sector advocacy as well as capacity building and continues to sustain a positive policy dialogue with Government on behalf of the private sector.

Formal TVET system

TVET in Uganda is an overlapping three-tier system comprising:

  • Craftsman level training offered by technical schools and institutes;
  • Technician level training offered by technical colleges; and
  • Graduate Engineer level training offered by universities.

Private TVET providers represent a strong segment of the sector, estimated at more than 1,000 institutions in 2011, representing approximately 81% of all TVET providers.

Non-formal and Informal Systems

The informal sector remains a stronghold of employment, accounting for 58% of non-agricultural employment in 2011. The TVET system has largely neglected the specific training needs of the informal sector. There is no systematic approach to skills development for people already in or seeking to enter the informal sector. Many of the training offers are supply driven, not based on market assessments and only duplicate formal sector training at very low levels. Some very effective programmes cannot be replicated due to lack of information exchange and resources.

Current reforms

In 2010, the Government of Uganda , with support from the World Bank and the Government of Belgium, commissioned a consultant team of national and international experts to conduct a sub-sector study and subsequently form the basis of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 “Skilling Uganda”.

Four main interventions are considered critical for a successful TVET reform:

  • Building a comprehensive Public-Private Partnership (PPP);
  • Ensuring a strong and focused TVET management controlled by all major stakeholders;
  • Defining the requirements of the world of work as the benchmark for all TVET
    programmes and qualifications; and
  • Reforming the system of financing TVET in order to achieve long-term sustainability.

 

Source: Unesco-Unevoc World TVET Database

* Data Source: Unesco-Unevoc World TVET Database. All statistics compiled from the United Nation’s Population Division’s World Population Prospects, the
2015 Revision (http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DVD/)

**Data Source: International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 17 January 2017.