Vocational education is education that prepares people to work in various jobs, such as a trade, a craft, or as a technician. Vocational education is sometimes referred to as career education or technical education. A University of Vocational Technology. University Colleges. Colleges of Vocational Technologies are a type of educational institution specifically designed to provide vocational education.
Vocational education can take place at the post-secondary, further education, and higher education level; and can interact with the apprenticeship system. At the post-secondary level, vocational education is often provided by highly specialized trade, Technical Colleges, University colleges, colleges of further education.
Until recently almost all vocational education took place in the classroom, or on the job site, with students learning trade skills and trade theory from accredited professors or established professionals. However, online vocational education has grown in popularity, and made it easier than ever for students to learn various trade skills and soft skills from established professionals in the industry.
The World Bank’s 2019 World Development Report on the future of work suggests that flexibility between general and vocational education particularly in higher education is imperative to enable workers to compete in changing labor markets where technology plays an increasingly important role.
Ministry of Vocational and Technical Training (MVTT) introduced the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) framework which was an important milestone for the education, economic and social development of Sri Lanka. The NVQ framework consists of seven levels of instruction. NVQ levels 1 to 4 are for craftsmen designation and successful candidates are issued with National certificates. NVQ levels 5 and 6 are Diploma level, whereas Level 7 is for degree equivalent qualification.
Training courses are provided by many institutions island wide. All training providers (public and private) must obtain institutional registration and course accreditation from the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC).In order to obtain registration institutions must satisfy specific criteria: infrastructure, basic services, tools and equipment, quality of instruction and staff, based on curriculum and syllabus, and quality of management and monitoring systems.
Government Ministries and Agencies involved in Vocational Training are The Ministry of Skills Development & Vocational Training. The Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC), the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA), The Department of Technical Education and Training (DTET), The Vocational Training Authority (VTA) and the National Youth Services Council (NYSC)
The vocational education and training sector is at the frontline response to major global challenges. An effective vocational education and training sector will be required to increase participation in the workforce, help companies exploit new technologies, and drive productivity improvements across the economy. The dividends are significant for institutions and economies that respond early and effectively. Today, standing in the global vocational education and training market the vocational education and training sector is at the frontline to major global challenges. Superficially, the outlook for vocational education and training providers is bright: the focus on labor market issues has rarely been sharper and the importance of industry connections is more valuable than ever.
In addition, the increased focus on having all students – from schoolchildren to university graduates – ‘job ready’ will act as a significant driver of demand. However, the changing skills market (for supply and demand) has burdened providers with added complexity, risk and uncertainty. Industry growth projections are no longer linear, funding is less certain, students are more demanding, and competition is fierce. Three major challenges face vocational education and training providers in Sri Lanka and globally:
*a changing and broadening learner base
* increased competition from other providers
*Weaker signals of demand from industry.
The challenge for training providers spans the entire student experience – from attraction to an institution to completion of studies. It is likely to be more costly and complex for Technical and Further Education institutes to attract, retain and support students that are disengaged from the education system, or have a low socioeconomic status or other special needs (such as rural or remote location, disability, or culturally and linguistically diverse background), than their current student capacity, trends a broad range of macro and lower-level factors – spanning policy economy, society and technology – drive trends in vocational education and training. In an effort to understand and assess these trends, This is intended to stimulate debate, inform training providers and policy makers and bring into sharper focus some of the challenges that are likely to arise in coming years. The assessment of global trends draws heavily on overseas case studies and the latest policy thinking and research. The intent was to identify ‘trends’ in action rather than conduct a theoretical assessment of ideas that may or may not come to fruition. This investigation has distilled global trends in the vocational education and training sector, based on their impact on the sector generally and their potential applicability to Sri Lanka. Each trend is presented with a real-world example.
1. As demand for new and higher level skills increase, and the population in developed countries ages, older workers will be increasingly required to retrain. European countries have been particularly active in addressing this challenge through lifelong learning policies.
2. The international vocational training market is moving offshore skilled people are increasingly moving between countries in response to changing demand.
3. Student retention is the new battleground the economic argument for student retention is irrefutable: it is significantly more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one.
4. College dropout rates are recognized as providing a conservative estimate of dropout rates in vocational education and training.
5. Delivery is now multi-channel and immersive. The emergence of online and blended learning is hardly a new trend.
6. New funding models and cost-shifting approaches are emerging to meet infrastructure requirements Revenue uncertainty, cost and profit pool pressure, and difficulties forecasting future skill needs are forcing institutions to think laterally about infrastructure requirements. Institutions are looking at innovative ways to minimize investment in new infrastructure through the use of new technologies to avoid expensive investment in major capital.
7. New industry partnerships are driving broader, deeper and more tailored training
8. Movement between education sectors is bringing old issues to boiling point Traditional boundaries between educational sectors are blurring. Given the overlap in products, learners are distinguishing less between types of providers and expect to seamlessly move between sectors.
Skills are a global currency: they are a source of economic advantage and increasingly ‘tradable’. Some would argue this has always been the case and the ‘war for talent’ – a term coined has been raging for decades.
Degree and professional apprenticeships
They are similar to higher apprenticeships, but differ in that they provide an opportunity to gain a full Higher Diploma (Level 6) or degree (Level 7). The courses are designed in partnership with employers, with part-time study taking place at a University or University Collages. They can take between four and six years to complete, depending on the level of the course, and the level of entry.
Knowledge concerning occupational practices (i.e. non-teaching) also requires a base of disciplinary or theoretical know-how that may be explicit and a process of application to specific work contexts and the environment it operates.
The analyzed empirical data is discussed in the separate sections of TVET, higher and professional education courses, case studies of fashion and textiles, airline industry, dental hygiene, clinical training in emergency medicine and doctors, and a comparison chapter. These chapters offer critical understandings of how pedagogic and occupational know-how are acquired and applied in highly contextualized pedagogic and occupational contexts culminating in the use of teaching strategies/approaches in teaching sessions.
Finally, this investigation has implications for teachers, managers and policymakers of occupational courses. For teachers, these include insights of the sources and types of knowledge that are acquired, and applied for teaching and working in the related occupational areas. Managers need to empathize with the deliverers and support their professional needs, and policymakers need to acknowledge the complexities of teaching in occupational programs and that the curriculum, professional staff and institution are adequately supported.
Country like China intends to improve the system of standards for higher vocational education, to unlock its full development potential and provide institutional assurance for its international expansion. Relevant policies will also be better shaped to incorporate new technologies, processes or regulations from international enterprises in a timely manner, while meeting human resource selection criteria and requirements related to specific positions. As part of the construction of a new standards system for higher vocational education with Chinese characteristics, which is expected to cater for the needs of industrial development, more effort will be poured into promoting pilot “going-global” programs from vocational colleges to gather and broaden experience through practice. Existing internationally recognized and relatively mature standards in teaching and training, industry-education collaboration, contribution to public services and other areas will be drawn upon to develop a variety of Model Projects.
To conclude, the “going-global” blueprint for Chinese higher vocational education has now been rolled out. Vocational colleges have the necessary impetus to expand overseas, and in particular to serve as a bridge between China and the Belt and Road countries, thereby allowing Chinese wisdom to exercise its full potential in the development of world vocational education.
Basic education and vocational skills development
A good education lays the foundation for the economic and social development not only of the individual but of society as a whole. Education helps to reduce poverty and social and economic disparities and stimulates economic growth. The pursues the objective of quality education accessible to people of all ages by focusing on two priority sectors: basic education and vocational skills development.
Education in any society is fundamental to achieving sustainable development underpinned by peace and social cohesion. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all is the fourth sustainable development goal for Sustainable Development. Along with achieving decent work for all within the framework of sustained economic growth and eradicating poverty.
As a vehicle for raising public awareness, education can help improve hygiene practices, advocate?? responsible agricultural production, and improve public knowledge about the effects of climate change. In many developing and transition countries there is a real need to improve the education system. It is equally important to ensure access to education in fragile contexts, where social disparities tend to worsen. In the area of education, to improve the quality of both basic education and vocational skills development.
Vocational education is changing its image, but people need to know about it
The past 60 years has seen a steady, constant expansion in the higher education sector, with parents and policymakers alike placing ever-greater emphasis upon the “golden formula” of three A-levels and a university degree.
But the fierce competition for jobs between highly qualified graduates frequently makes the headlines as more and more people struggle to find employment, despite obtaining In the future, the top three in-demand occupations will all be in health and care; nearly more workers will be required in hospitals, care homes and the community. Economic growth will drive expansion, but further to this, the greatest influence upon job creation will be the ageing population, as the mid-skilled workforce retires.
Traditional skilled trades will remain in high demand. Over the next eight years, nearly half a million workers will be required within skilled construction trades, ranging from bricklayers to renewable energy geothermal pump installers. Vocational education can also act as a pathway towards many roles historically seen as the domain of the university graduate. Technical, practical and vocational education has a unique role to play in the future job market, giving students the edge in a competitive jobs market by providing them with the skills, experience and clear progression routes they need to succeed. Vocational qualifications can aid progression along career paths, or facilitate entire career changes.
But further found that many vocational students felt that their schools and parents did not support their decision to pursue vocational study. Many felt they would have received greater support had they followed the university route. There is evidently a perception issue when it comes to vocational education; it has become viewed by some as a second-tier offering. However, the tide is certainly beginning to turn. Rising tuition fees have made the university route increasingly costly, with no guaranteed job at the end, while the array of vocational qualifications on offer today is greater than ever before.
Vocational education is undergoing an image change. As education professionals, our job is to encourage availability of knowledge and information about all options available to students. The fastest route to refreshing the tired perception of vocational education is through opening up the dialogue to a wider audience. We need to loudly and publicly extol the sheer variety and quality of education options.
There is a huge array of courses available, but this will remain insider knowledge if confined to the pages of academic trade publications. We need to rethink our communications and refresh our approach to those as yet untouched by our message. We need to celebrate not only the traditional vocational trades, but the unusual ones as well.
From floristry to accounting, aeronautical engineering to personal training, we need to open the doors on vocational education.
The biggest challenge is making sure schools tell young people and parents about vocational options. Sadly, this doesn’t happen as often as it should – partly because schools with sixth forms see colleges as competitors, and partly because degree-educated teachers lack up-to-date information about vocational qualifications and careers.
The most forward-thinking colleges and training providers also strive to reach people directly, both through traditional routes such as local papers, and through social media. The key is telling stories about people who got where they wanted to be via the vocational route to success
Extensive debate on these and other topics with international cooperation partners needs to continue to take place in future. In this regard, responses to questions on the prospects for vocational education and training also always take on a global dimension! This is precisely why it will remain particularly interesting to continue to look at these topics.
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