REPORT ON THE STRATEGY FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) AND DIRECTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP BEYOND 2015 SUMMARY

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1 Executive Board Hundred and ninety-sixth session 196 EX/6 PARIS, 4 March 2015 Original: English Item 6 of the provisional agenda REPORT ON THE STRATEGY FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) AND DIRECTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP BEYOND 2015 SUMMARY Pursuant to 191 EX/Decision 7, in which the Executive Board requested the Director-General to report at its 196th session a proposal regarding the follow-up to the Strategy, drawing on progress in implementing the latter, the Organization s priorities and the post-2015 education and development agendas, the Director- General submits this report on the Strategy for TVET and directions for follow-up beyond Any financial and administrative implications related to the present document will be borne within the framework of document 37 C/5. Action expected of the Executive Board: decision in paragraph 27.

2 196 EX/6 I. Introduction 1. At its 191st session the Executive Board invited the Director-General to present to it at its 196th session a proposal regarding the follow-up to the Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), drawing on progress in implementing the Strategy, the Organization s priorities and the post-2015 education and development agendas. 2. This document reports on the progress of the implementation of the Strategy for TVET and proposes a roadmap for the development of a new strategy. 3. UNESCO s Strategy for TVET ( ) was approved by 181 EX/Decision 8 and revised in 182 EX/INF.5. It was developed within the overall framework of UNESCO s Medium-Strategy ( ) and the overarching objective of attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning (34 C/4). The Strategy contributes to the achievement of this objective by focusing on three core areas: (i) the provision of upstream policy advice and related capacity development; (ii) the conceptual clarification of skills development and improvement of monitoring; and (iii) acting as a clearing house and informing the global TVET debate. 4. The preliminary report of the review of the implementation of the Strategy was presented in 2012 to the Executive Board at its 190th session (190 EX/8 Part II). It detailed progress in each core area and noted that the outcomes of the Third International Congress on TVET as expressed in the Shanghai Consensus 1 and other developments should be used to inform the mid-term review of the Strategy. 5. An internal mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategy for TVET was conducted later on and the findings were presented to the Executive Board at its 191st session (191 EX/7). The review assessed: (i) the progress in the implementation of the Strategy against its stated overall objective and expected results, (ii) the currency and relevance of the Strategy in view of recent developments in particular the follow-up to the Third International Congress on TVET and the changing international landscape, and (iii) the necessary modifications to the Strategy, and the resulting implications for programming and resources. The mid-term review proposed to maintain and reinforce the three core areas while defining priorities of actions as presented below. II. Progress in the implementation of the Strategy for TVET Strategic Core Area 1: 2 6. UNESCO was expected to focus further on providing upstream policy advice for transforming TVET policies and systems and addressing key challenges such as youth unemployment, gender mainstreaming and supporting lifelong learning opportunities for all. UNESCO was also expected to support regional and subregional strategies for TVET as well as groups of countries facing similar development challenges such as middle-income countries (MICs). 7. Since the beginning of the implementation of the Strategy, 20 Member States have benefitted from UNESCO upstream policy support which enabled them to develop or launch the development of TVET policies towards increased relevance to labour market needs, and inclusive and sustainable development. Twelve Member States benefitted from capacity development programmes, including through Capacity Development for Education For All (CapEFA) and Better Education for Africa Rise (BEAR) projects, covering inter-ministerial coordination, curricula reform, entrepreneurship, qualifications frameworks and quality assurance, information system and monitoring and evaluation of TVET. In 2015, 10 Member States in the Arab region, sub-saharan Africa and the Caribbean will benefit from UNESCO s support in developing adequate systems for This core area contributes to one expected result of the TVET strategy [15 to 20 countries received upstream policy advice].

3 196 EX/6 page 2 skills anticipation and forecasting and in translating the findings into appropriate policies and programmes. 8. UNESCO-UNEVOC, in cooperation with field offices, organized and facilitated various capacity development activities that benefitted TVET institutions in all regions. The objective was to help accelerate TVET transformations, and review the progress in existing practices in the implementation of the youth skills development and the greening of TVET agendas, which are key to fulfilling the Shanghai Consensus recommendations. 9. The major challenges of achieving fully the expected results are related to the long-term nature of TVET reforms which require field work and continuous engagement with national stakeholders. Sustained implementation requires leveraging resources and support. Consequently, scaling up interventions to respond to requests for support from Member States necessitates careful prioritization and strong partnerships with a view of joint interventions and mobilization of additional resources. As demonstrated by the work in Cambodia, Malawi and more recently, in Madagascar, partners such as the European Union (for Malawi), the Asian Development Bank (for Cambodia) and the Agence française de développement (for Madagascar) are able to build on UNESCO s upstream policy work and to support the implementation of new TVET policies. Regional efforts can also generate economies of scale and reinforce UNESCO s impact, through the implementation of regional agendas, knowledge sharing and peer learning. Some of the good examples are: the work with the ASEAN (support to the development of the Regional Qualifications Framework adopted in 2014); ECOWAS (support to development of the Regional Qualifications Framework and the ongoing work on the development of quality assurance); SADC (support to the development of TVET regional strategy adopted in 2012); as well as the work planned in 2015 in the Pacific region (support to the review of regional framework ending 2015 and development of new framework). Strategic Core Area 2: Under core area 2, UNESCO was expected to examine the complete landscape of skills while emphasizing the pivotal role of skills development through TVET in bridging education and training with the world of work. In line with the Shanghai Consensus recommendations, a new initiative was developed on the recognition of qualifications and quality assurance and the establishment of a task force to support the Secretariat in conducting the envisaged work. In addition, UNESCO was expected to set up a task force to work on developing cross-national statistical frameworks and data platforms for both regional and global monitoring. Finally, UNESCO considered that it was opportune to revise the 2001 Revised Recommendation on Technical and Vocational Education. 11. Progress has been made regarding the conceptual clarification and joint definition of skills through the Inter-Agency Group on TVET (IAG-TVET) work on TVET glossary and key indicators. The conceptual clarification draws also on the evidence presented in the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2012, Youth and skills: Putting education to work. The focus of the Shanghai Consensus on transforming TVET provides new ground for conceptualization, including the articulation between education, training and the world of work in a lifelong learning framework. 12. UNESCO is also working to enhance the recognition of skills and qualifications within and across countries. As part of this work, UNESCO conducted a global study on the use of level descriptors and the way they are applied for defining learning outcomes and classifying qualifications. The Organization is now considering establishing an international taskforce that will help advance this agenda and explore the possibility of developing international guidelines on quality assurance for the recognition of qualifications based on learning outcomes. 3 Work under this core area contributes to three expected results Member States capacity for monitoring progress in TVET improved ; Joint definition of skills and TVET indicators and The normative instruments assessed and monitored.

4 196 EX/6 page The work on the revision of the 2001 Recommendation concerning TVET is progressing according to the relevant Rules of Procedure. Based on the work and the different consultations including an online consultation of Member States, the Director-General submitted to Member States a preliminary report accompanied by a first draft of the revised Recommendation for their comments and observations to be transmitted to the Secretariat by 10 January A final report containing proposed drafts of the revised Recommendation will be prepared on the basis of those comments and observations. It will be communicated to Member States by April 2015, with a view to its examination by the General Conference at its 38th session. 14. The work on improving the monitoring of TVET is progressing on four strands: (i) Under the umbrella of the IAG-TVET, the report on indicators for monitoring TVET was published and a draft report on the availability of internationally comparable TVET statistics was also produced; (ii) A new taskforce was established with the technical support of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics under the umbrella of the IAG-TVET. It is expected that the taskforce will provide input into the establishment of indicators for the post-2015 sustainable development goal (SDG) on education and related targets; (iii) At the regional level, UNESCO conducted regional reviews of TVET information systems in Africa and Latin America, as well as an analysis of the transition from school to work in selected countries of the Asia and the Pacific region; (iv) At the national level, the UIS Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) was adapted to the specificities of TVET subsector. Through the CapEFA and BEAR projects, 10 countries are benefitting from UNESCO s capacity development support in enhancing their TVET information systems and the publication of TVET statistics and indicators. 15. Work on the conceptual clarification of TVET and the monitoring of skills development is progressing. It is, however, challenging because of the complexity of the field and the challenge posed in coordinating the various initiatives undertaken such as the IAG-TVET work on indicators, G20 indicators; post-2015 development agenda. Strategic Core Area 3: For core area 3, the Organization was expected to organize, with key partners, follow-up to the Third International Congress on TVET and to introduce regular reviews of regional and global developments. Together with other partners such as the ILO and UNICEF as well as international and regional research networks, UNESCO was expected to facilitate the debate on the place of TVET and skills development in the post-2015 education and development agendas. The Organization was expected to further enhance the capacities of the UNEVOC Network to play a key role in developing the capacities of TVET stakeholders, while the UNEVOC e-forum was expected to continue to facilitate and promote global dialogue on TVET. 17. UNESCO s efforts in facilitating consultations of Member States on the formulation of the post-2015 education agenda resulted in the inclusion of the following skills-related target in the Muscat Agreement: By 2030, at least x% of youth and y% of adults have the knowledge and skills for decent work and life through technical and vocational, upper secondary and tertiary education and training, with particular attention to gender equality and the most marginalized. This vision was further elaborated in the United Nations Open Working Group s (OWG) proposal which includes the following two targets related to TVET and skills: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university ; and By 2030, increase by x% the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. 18. In fulfilling its clearinghouse function, UNESCO successfully organized the Third International Congress on TVET and facilitated the adoption of the Shanghai Consensus. The UNESCO- UNEVOC International Centre has enhanced and expanded its online services to support TVET development, which include the organization of e-forum virtual conferences, the development of 4 This core area contributes to three expected results, Revamp the UNEVOC Network ; Stimulate and commission thematic reviews on TVET ; and Organize the Third International Congress on TVET.

5 196 EX/6 page 4 an online World TVET Database and compilation of an online collection of promising practices in TVET and their dissemination. The UNEVOC Network is playing a crucial role in facilitating international cooperation as well as regional and national-level coordination in TVET. 19. UNESCO is also consolidating its knowledge base to better inform global and regional debates and provide leadership to the international community in the field of TVET. The Organization conducted a review of global TVET trends and issues, regional reviews of TVET systems (for example with SADC) and thematic reviews such as the review on TVET teachers and UNESCO-IFAD study on Learning knowledge and skills for agriculture and improving rural livelihoods. 20. The setting-up of the IAG-TVET and sub-groups on thematic priorities such as on Greening Skills and TVET helps in monitoring TVET initiatives that promote sustainable development and in identifying further areas for inter-agency support. The IAG-TVET has contributed to the effectiveness of implementation by enhancing the engagement of partners in supporting TVET, and thereby extending the reach and impact of the TVET Strategy. Evidence of this includes the joint work on key indicators for monitoring and evaluating TVET progress, and the organization of the Third International Congress on TVET which collectively identified key challenges and future directions. The Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Green Skills and TVET collaborated in setting out policy recommendations to advise the G20 governments on meeting skills needs for green jobs in response to a request from the G20 Development Working Group on the Human Resources Development (HRD) Pillar. 21. The progress made regarding the reorientation of the UNEVOC Network deserves to be sustained. The major challenges are to effectively operationalize the thematic and geographic clustering mechanisms, and to expand the capacity-building actions for and through the UNEVOC Network. III. Roadmap for the follow-up to the Strategy 22. The 2010 Strategy for TVET has provided a vision and an operational framework for UNESCO s work on TVET. It has been an effective vehicle for coordination and implementation that has provided a focus and visibility for UNESCO s work in line with its mandate and functions. Moreover, the design of the Strategy with its three core areas has proved sufficiently flexible to incorporate the Shanghai Consensus recommendations, organizational priorities and Member States requests. 23. In order to better respond to future challenges and rising demand, UNESCO will capitalize on the achievements realised so far and craft a new strategy for TVET to guide its work beyond The new strategy for TVET is expected to cover the period from 2016 to 2021 and will be aligned with the Organizations strategic directions in UNESCO s Medium-Term Strategy (document 37 C/4) and UNESCO s Education Strategy for It will serve as a framework for UNESCO s activities, regional and international dialogue, cooperation and progress around issues of TVET, and guide UNESCO s efforts in assisting Member States implementing the TVET-related targets of the post-2015 education agenda. The new strategy will be developed in accordance with the roadmap presented here below, around three main axes: (i) evaluation and review; (ii) expert consultations and drafting; and (iii) submission and approval. (i) The evaluation and review 24. An evaluation of the Strategy for TVET ( ) is currently under way, led by UNESCO s Internal Oversight Service with the support of and input from external experts. The evaluation has a two-fold objective: (1) To assess progress achieved in the implementation of the TVET Strategy, providing insights as to its relevance, the efficiency, and effectiveness/impact of its different implementation modalities including the distribution of roles and responsibilities, as well as the sustainability of the results achieved so far, and (2) to inform the proposal for a follow-up of the

6 196 EX/6 page 5 TVET Strategy in view of lessons learned and of the global debate around the post-2015 development agenda. The evaluation will be conducted in the first semester of The draft evaluation report is expected to be ready in May 2015, and the final report will be available in June (ii) Expert consultations and drafting 25. The new Strategy for TVET will be drafted by the Secretariat in consultation with Member States, international partners and the wider TVET community, ensuring that it is relevant to each region. An indicative plan and time-frame for the elaboration of the new strategy for TVET have been prepared. The following actions are some of the major milestones for the consultation and drafting component: Take into account the outcomes of the evaluation: As indicated above the evaluation will inform the directions and content of the new TVET strategy in particular in view of lessons learned from the implementation of the present Strategy and complementarity with the strategies and programmes of key partners. Build on the post-2015 education and development agendas: The link to post-2015 education and development agenda should guide the development of the new TVET strategy and emphasis should be on supporting Member states in implementing the TVET related targets in the post-2015 education agenda once it is adopted by the United Nations Summit in September Build on reference documents: In addition to the Strategic Objectives set out in UNESCO s Medium-Term Strategy ( ), and UNESCO s Education Strategy, several documents are central for framing and defining key areas and directions for the new strategy for TVET, in particular: (i) The Third International Congress on TVET outcomes document, the Shanghai Consensus, on directions and priorities for transforming TVET policies and systems; (ii) The outcomes of the regional consultations on the post-2015 education agenda; (iii) The updated Recommendation concerning TVET which is expected to be adopted by the General Conference during its 38th session. Other documents will be also used for defining areas of priority, such as for example the newly adopted Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development and other regional and thematic documents that have been generated through various global and regional fora. Consider the findings of the national education for all reviews and the Education for All Global Monitoring Report: Member States are conducting national EFA reviews and the 2015 Education for All Global Monitoring Report expected to be launched in April 2015 will provide a global assessment of the overall progress toward the six EFA goals. These will provide lessons regarding the achievement of EFA goal 3 and inform the new strategy for TVET in the context of the post-2015 agenda. Consultation with Member States during the World Education Forum (WEF) (May 2015): The WEF is an important opportunity for the discussion on the Strategy for TVET to be anchored in a lifelong and sector-wide perspective and for consulting the wider education and development community. Consultation through the UNESCO-UNEVOC virtual platform: The objective of this consultation will be to discuss the first draft of the new strategy for TVET, including the proposed priority areas for UNESCO s work. Consultation with development partners: As mentioned earlier, UNESCO established the IAG-TVET to ensure systematic cooperation and coordination with international agencies active in the field. UNESCO will organize two inter-agency meetings to discuss the proposed areas for UNESCO s work and cooperation in TVET. The first will be limited to the members

7 196 EX/6 page 6 of the IAG-TVET members while the second will include the wider international and bilateral development partners active in the field including sub-groups within the IAG-TVET (e.g. the IAWG on Greening Skills and TVET). (iii) Submission and approval: 26. The draft strategy for TVET ( ) will be submitted for approval to the 198th session of the Executive Board (Spring 2016). IV. Proposed decision 27. In the light of the above, the Executive Board may wish to adopt a decision along the following lines: The Executive Board, 1. Recalling document 191 EX/Dec.7, 2. Having examined document 196 EX/6, 3. Expresses its satisfaction with the progress in the implementation of the Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training ( ) and acknowledges the achievements, lessons learnt and implications for the follow-up to the Strategy; 4. Invites Member States and development partners to reinforce UNESCO s action in the area of TVET through extra-budgetary funding, the secondment of experts, and knowledge sharing; 5. Takes note of the roadmap for the follow-up to the Strategy for TVET, and welcomes the arrangements made for its evaluation; 6. Takes note with appreciation of the proposal for the alignment of a new strategy for TVET with the post-2015 education agenda after its adoption; 7. Invites the Director-General to present to it at its 198th session (Spring 2016) the new draft strategy for TVET ( ). Printed on recycled paper