UNESCO-UNEVOC in Action

Report on Activities

2008-2009

>> Published byUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and TrainingUN CampusHermann-Ehlers-Str. 1053113 BonnGermanyTel: [+49] 228 815 0100Fax: [+49] 228 815 0199www.unesco.org/unevocunevoc@unesco.org

This report can be downloaded in PDF format from www.unevoc.unesco.org/publications

>> Prepared by Maja Zarini>> Editorial Advice: L. Efison Munjanganja>> Editorial Assistants: Alix Wurdak, Susanne Niemietz, Alessia Polidoro

and Stefan Hohn

>> Design: Jens Eden, www.pinger-eden.de>> Printed by: Rautenberg Media & Print Verlag KG, www.rmp.de

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in thispublication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever onthe part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, city orarea, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers orboundaries.

ISBN 978-92-95071-09-4© UNESCO 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface >> 5

IntroductIon >> 6

the uneSco-uneVoc InternatIonal centre >> 7

the uneVoc networkS >> 8

The UNEVOC Network 8

Strengthening the UNEVOC Network and Building the Capacity of

UNEVOC Centre Professionals 10

UNESCO-UNEVOC e-Forum 15

TVETipedia 16

educatIon for all >> 17

Strengthening TVET 17

Public Private Partnership 20

Youth Employment 20

TVET Teachers/Trainers 23

Entrepreneurship Education 23

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in TVET 26

Adult Education 29

Inclusive Education 30

educatIon for SuStaInable deVeloPment >> 31

InternatIonal collaboratIon >> 38

PublIcatIonS and InformatIon Programme >> 39

Publications 39

UNESCO-UNEVOC Bulletin and Forum 42

Website 43

InSIde uneSco-uneVoc >> 44

Staffing 44

Financial Report 45

Appendix I: Activities in 2008-2009 46

Appendix II: Relationships within the Host Country 48

Appendix III: List of Visitors to the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre 48

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

PREFACE5

r unning through the mandate, goals andobjectives of the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre for Technical and Vocational Educationand Training are thoughts relating to assisting UNESCOMember States, especially developing countries andcountries in transition, to upgrade technical andvocational education and training (TVET) and to achievehigh-quality, relevant, lifelong and cost-effective TVETfor all, thereby bettering learners’ employmentprospects. In order to fulfil these thoughts, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre undertook myriad activitiesin the years 2008 and 2009.

The report “ UNESCO-UNEVOC in Action” gives anoverview of the actions that occurred; and the activitiesthat were undertaken and their results. It is producedevery two years, corresponding to the UNESCO biennialprogramme cycle. It seeks to explain and inform aboutthe major actions and activities that received attention.From all this, highlights can be seen of how UNESCO-UNEVOC has served and assisted UNESCO MemberStates, especially developing countries, in their quest todevelop and improve TVET.

Focusing on capacity building and learning, the activitiestook various forms, ranging from training events such asconferences, seminars, workshops and round-tables, tonetworking, publications and the provision of onlineservices. They concentrated on the following:

>> TVET and EFA;

>> UNEVOC Networks;

>> TVET and ESD; and

>> Knowledge sharing.

Highlights of the various actions and activities that wereundertaken can be read in the report. The UNEVOCNetwork and the e-Forum became truly global with anumber of institutions from developed and developingcountries seeking to become UNEVOC Centres. By the endof December 2009 there were 278 institutions in the

UNEVOC Network. The e-Forum community grewmanifold, and interaction as reflected by the number ofmessages on the e-Forum doubled. There were variousimprovements to the UNEVOC website in order to make ita “ one-stop window” for TVET practitioners andresearchers, with the TVETipedia portalwww.TVETipedia.org providing for knowledge buildingand sharing, and communication. These improvementstogether with other activities helped to enhance theclearinghouse services. The adoption of a New UNESCOStrategy for TVET towards the end of 2009 breathed newlife in the activities of the Centre.

International and bilateral partners continued to play animportant role in the achievement of the results thatform part of this report. Prominent among the partnersare the German Commission for UNESCO, several Germanbilateral institutions and experts, several regionalintergovernmental organizations, as well as severalprivate companies. It is, of course, needless to dwell inthis vein upon the vital role of house-wide assistance andsupport that was provided by partners and colleagues inUNESCO, be they Field Offices or UNESCO Headquartersin Paris.

Funding partners were invaluable in our ability to carryout so many activities related to the work of the Centre.In this regard, deep gratitude is extended to theGovernment of Germany for, as in years gone by, thegenerous funding, hosting the Centre, and other forms ofsupport.

Finally, there were several staff changes at the Centre. Ofimportance was the retirement of the former director ofthe Centre, Mr Rupert Maclean, at the end of March2009. Following the retirement he was replaced on aninterim basis by Mr L. Efison Munjanganja, a member ofstaff at the Centre, as the Officer in Charge.

L. Efison Munjanganja

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION6

t his biennial report provides a comprehensiveoverview of the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre’ s activities in TVET in 2008-2009. Itindicates how the Centre has helped to improve TVET inUNESCO Member States and serves as an informationdocument for those who are interested in the work of theCentre. It particularly aims to inform individuals who donot have access to or are not familiar with the format ofreports submitted within the mechanisms of UNESCO. Wehope that the readers will find the report useful for theirwork.

During the biennium 2008-2009, the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre focused its work on three key resultareas: fostering innovation and best practice in TVETthrough active and effective UNEVOC Networks;strengthening TVET in UNESCO Member States to meetthe goals of the Education for All (EFA) campaign; andassisting UNESCO Member States in the alignment ofTVET with the tenets of sustainable development.

In all three result areas, the Centre undertook a broadrange of activities that covered the various world regionsand scored a number of achievements that include:

>> The expansion of the worldwide UNEVOC Network by11 institutions to 278 UNEVOC Centres in 165UNESCO Member States by the end of 2009, as wellas the establishment of thematic clusters for specificcollaboration among Network members. Directrelationships between UNEVOC professionals acrosscountries were fostered at regional, international orthematic meetings, or through targeted linkagesbetween UNEVOC Centres. Network activitiesorganized by the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre in 2008-2009 reached more than 200UNEVOC professionals from 35 countries.

>> Capacity building and professional development ofTVET leaders as well as supporting the integration ofemerging issues into TVET, e.g. through theorganization of regional and internationalconferences and workshops for TVET experts oncontemporary TVET topics. In 2008-2009, UNESCO-UNEVOC held 24 conferences, seminars and

workshops in which more than 800 TVETprofessionals from around the world participated.The Centre also implemented projects to improveherders’ education in Mongolia in relation tosustainable development, assess the use of ICTs inTVET teacher education in China, and train TVETprofessionals in curriculum development. It providedintellectual contributions to 17 activities that wereorganized by partner organizations and collaboratedwith UNESCO Field Offices on two Capacity Buildingfor Education for All (CapEFA) initiatives in Angolaand Malawi.

>> The promotion of best practice in TVET through anextensive publications programme and acomprehensive website, as well as throughknowledge sharing and collaboration betweenUNEVOC Centres, individual TVET experts, andbetween UNESCO-UNEVOC and other agencies. In2008-2009, 17 UNESCO-UNEVOC publications werepublished on a broad range of TVET topics.

>> Advancing knowledge sharing and discussion amongTVET policy makers, practitioners and researchersthrough the further development of the UNESCO-UNEVOC online services, including the expansion ofthe e-Forum, the launch of the new knowledge-sharing portal TVETipedia and the development of aportal for exclusive use of members of the UNEVOCNetwork.

It is important to note that UNESCO-UNEVOC worked inclose partnership with other UNESCO entities as well aswith other national, bilateral, regional and internationalorganizations in the implementation of its activities. TheCentre appreciates the generous support and would liketo thank all its partners. It is hoped that the successfulcollaboration will continue in the upcoming years.

Detailed information about the many activities that theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical andVocational Education and Training undertook in 2008-2009 can be found in the respective chapters of thisreport. We invite all readers to consult the text to findout more about the Centre’ s work.

INTRODUCTION

7

THE UNESCO-UNEVOC INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

THE UNESCO-UNEVOC INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

t he acquisition of skills for work, and for citizenship,is crucial for economic and social development. Itis important for individuals, for communities and,at the aggregate level, for nations. Ideally, TVET is relevantto the needs of the labour market, of high quality, andbroadly accessible. This ideal is a far cry from reality formany UNESCO Member States.

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technicaland Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC) assists UNESCO’ s 193 Member States tostrengthen and upgrade their TVET systems. It is a keycomponent of UNESCO’ s international programme ontechnical and vocational education and training (TVET). Itwas established in 2000 and inaugurated in Bonn in 2002.

The Centre particularly focuses on contributing to theoverarching UNESCO goals in TVET, namely to contributeto the development of TVET worldwide by adding value toMember States’ policies and practices andcomplementing the extensive contributions made byother major international organizations working in the

field. UNESCO-UNEVOC gives priority in its work to peopleand regions in the world that are most in need. Highpriority is placed on international cooperation,partnerships and networking.

The Centre is the hub of the UNEVOC Network, aworldwide network of TVET institutions, and takes actionto strengthen and upgrade the Network, with particularreference to:

>> Stimulating international and regional cooperation inTVET;

>> Promoting best and innovative practices in TVET;

>> Sharing knowledge; and

>> Mobilizing expertise and resources.

Full information about the Centre and its activities can befound on the UNESCO-UNEVOC website atwww.unesco.org/unevoc

Mozambique. © World Bank/Eric Miller

UN premises in Bonn, Germany

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS8

In order to foster innovation and good practice in thearea of TVET, the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre promotes and supports capacity building,networking and mutual learning. To undertake successfulreform, TVET leaders need to have access to relevant andcurrent information. It is also important that stakeholderscan learn from each others’ experiences to, in their owncontext, develop policy and legislation that establisheffective institutional structures and relevant curriculawhich ensure that TVET caters adequately to the variedneeds of all members of society. UNESCO-UNEVOC hasestablished several networks that aim to assist UNESCOMember States develop and strengthen TVET throughknowledge sharing, collaboration and joint activities.

The Centre’ s two flagship networks are:

>> The UNEVOC Network, a worldwide network ofspecialized TVET institutions; and

>> The e-Forum, a virtual community for TVET experts.

In addition, in 2009 UNESCO-UNEVOC launched a newonline platform for networking and knowledge-sharingentitled TVETipedia.

The networks constitute unique platforms for South-South and North-South-South cooperation as a keydelivery modality for advancing TVET. In 2008-2009,UNESCO-UNEVOC focused on expanding its networks andenhancing their role and effectiveness in knowledgesharing and knowledge building.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS

The UNEVOC Network is an international network thatlinks institutions working in the area of TVET. It is madeup of UNEVOC Centres and designated UNESCO Centresof Excellence in TVET. The UNEVOC Centres areestablished in TVET institutions in UNESCO MemberStates on the advice of the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre. They are focal points in theprovision of services and platforms for international andregional cooperation.

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre promotes,orchestrates and mobilises all endeavours concerning theUNEVOC Network, which has three specific objectives:

>> To encourage and promote the development of TVETsystems and policies through the adaptation ofinternational experiences, best practices andinnovations in TVET;

>> To develop the capacities of UNEVOC Centres andassociated TVET practitioners; and

>> To share knowledge, know-how and competencies.

The Network was established in the 1990s. Among theinstitutions making up the Network are TVET teachinginstitutions at the secondary or post-secondary schoollevel; TVET research groups within universities; TVETsections within ministries of education; and nationalapex bodies dedicated to TVET policy development.

All institutions involved in the Network meet thefollowing criteria:

>> Recognition as a national TVET institution by thenational government and competent authorities suchas national agencies responsible for one or moreaspects of TVET;

>> Registration as a national vocational education andtraining institution (e.g. technical college,polytechnic, technical and further educationinstitution, training institution, higher educationinstitution engaged in skills development) by thenational competent authorities responsible for TVET;

>> Adequate institutional capacity for nationaldissemination of UNESCO TVET messages andnetworking with other UNEVOC Centres worldwide;

>> Demonstrated experience in, and nationalrecognition of, undertaking education, training andresearch activities;

>> Availability of adequate TVET staff and resources toattend to UNEVOC activities; and

>> Availability of programmes to publish TVETpublications on a regular basis and share thosewithin the Network.

UNEVOC Centres take on the following tasks:

>> Organizing national and regional network activities,in particular to disseminate UNESCO TVET messagesto TVET practitioners and to enable the exchange ofinformation, experiences and lessons learnt amongTVET experts;

The UNEVOC Network

>> Participating in events organized by UNESCO-UNEVOC and contributing to the collection ofcountry data and reports on good practices,frameworks, innovations and models on TVET;

>> Reporting changes on the status, contact details andstaff movements of the UNEVOC Centre;

>> Collaborating with other UNEVOC Centres throughnetworking;

>> Updating information pertaining to their institutionon the UNEVOC website; and

>> Submitting reports upon request.

The UNEVOC Network provides a global platform forUNESCO-UNEVOC to respond to the needs of UNESCOMember States. Therefore, it is one of the UNESCOstrategies to provide assistance to Member States indeveloping countries and countries in transition towardsthe development and improvement of TVET.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS9

UNEVOC Network - Profiled by Areas of Activity

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

System-Responsible

Education and Training

Curriculum Design

HRD

Policy Planning/Management

Research and Development

Quality Assurance

Monitoring and Evalutation

Partnerships

The UNEVOC Network worldwide

At the end of 2009, the UNEVOC Network consisted of278 UNEVOC Centres in 165 UNESCO Member States.Updating and expanding the UNEVOC Network andidentifying and selecting new UNEVOC Centres aroundthe world are ongoing activities of the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre. Institutions join the Network eitherby invitation from UNESCO-UNEVOC upon identificationas a reputable institution in education, training and skillsdevelopment or following a request from a UNESCOMember State. They might also be nominated by aNational Commission for UNESCO. Following the reviewof an institution’ s application by the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre, the Secretary General of theUNESCO National Commission of the country where theinstitution is located endorses the membership.

In 2008-2009, eleven institutions were accepted as newmembers of the UNEVOC Network. They are (listed inalphabetical order by country):

Australia Australian Maritime College, March 2009

China The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Officeof Professional and Vocational Education,February 2008

Germany Three organizations located in Magdeburg,Germany, have become a joint UNEVOCCentre: InWEnt – Capacity BuildingInternational, Otto-von-Guericke Universityand Fraunhofer Institute for FactoryOperation and Automation (IFF), February2009

Jordan National Training of Trainers Institute, May2009

Namibia Rundu Vocational Training Centre, October2008

Namibia Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, LiaisonDepartment, October 2008

Pakistan Staff Training Institute (TEVTA Punjab),Training Section, Academics Dept, TEVTA,June 2008

Pakistan The National Vocational and TechnicalEducation Commission, June 2008

Sweden Centrum för Flexibelt Lärande, Söderhamn,May 2008

Thailand Rajamangala University of TechnologyThanyaburi, Faculty of Technical Education,November 2008

United University of Bath, Department of Education,Kingdom March 2008

Details on these and all other UNEVOC Centres can befound in the online UNEVOC Network database atwww.unevoc.unesco.org/network

Effective networking among very different TVETinstitutions from the various world regions needs to beorchestrated and promoted. The UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre fosters cooperation within theUNEVOC Network and facilitates it through variousmethods. It provides tools such as a print Networkdirectory and an online database that provide wide-ranging information about the various UNEVOC Centres,and on which other UNEVOC Centres can draw whenlooking for partners for their diverse endeavours. Anothermeans through which the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre stimulates cooperation anddiscussions within the UNEVOC Network is theorganization of regional and international meetingswhich build the capacity of UNEVOC Centreprofessionals, improve the profile of the Network andlead to the identification and implementation of jointactivities that respond to the Network members’ needs.

In 2008-2009, the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre put emphasis on four main strategies tostrengthen the UNEVOC Network and build capacity ofUNEVOC Centre professionals:

>> Publishing and disseminating an updated version ofthe UNEVOC Network Directory and frequentlyupdating the UNEVOC Network database;

>> Developing and distributing awards for members ofthe UNEVOC Network;

>> Organizing conferences and seminars for UNEVOCCentre professionals; and

>> Developing an online portal for the exclusive use ofUNEVOC Centres.

uneVoc network directory

In January 2009, a new print version of the UNEVOCNetwork Directory was published. The Directory providesinformation about UNEVOC Centres and aims to facilitatenetworking and collaboration. Besides containing contactinformation for each Centre, it describes the activities ofUNEVOC Centres and the populations they serve. TheDirectory was mailed to all UNEVOC Centres worldwide.

In addition to the print and PDF versions of the Directory,which are published approximately once a biennium, an

interactive online version, the UNEVOC Networkdatabase, is available on the UNEVOC website. Thedatabase is updated frequently.

uneVoc centre awards

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre hasdeveloped and distributed awards for members of theUNEVOC Network. The UNEVOC Centre Award ispresented in recognition of the Centres’ continuedefforts in furthering UNESCO goals in TVET as part of theUNEVOC Network. The Award recognizes affiliation withthe Network and aims to strengthen and enhancecooperation and communication among UNEVOCCentres.

The Award consists of a large plaque, which is intendedto be displayed in a visible location in the lobby of theinstitution, a smaller plaque for the office of the directoror the UNEVOC Centre manager, and a certificate. In2008-2009, 170 member institutions of the UNEVOCNetwork received the UNEVOC Centre Award.

conferences and Seminars

In 2008-2009, seven UNEVOC Network seminars,consultations and conferences that built the capacity ofUNEVOC Centre professionals took place:

uneVoc Sub-regional Seminar on curriculumInnovations and best Practices in tVet Iloilo City, Philippines, 13-16 April 2008

The UNESCO–UNEVOC International Centre and theUNEVOC Centre at the Western Visayas College ofScience and Technology (Philippines) jointly organizedthis sub-regional seminar on curriculum innovations andbest practices in TVET, in which twenty TVET practitionersfrom selected UNEVOC Centres from Cambodia, China,India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines,Sri Lanka, and Thailand participated.

As a follow-up on the outcomes of seminars held inChonburi, Thailand, and Tianjin, China, in 2007, thisseminar was designed to increase networking and

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS10

Strengthening the UNEVOC Network and Building the Capacity

of UNEVOC Centre Professionals

collaboration in the area of developing and innovatingTVET curricula as well as to contribute to the good profileand visibility of UNEVOC Centres. It sought to supportUNEVOC Centres further in building their capacitythrough training and the exchange of innovativepractices, as well as through support of initiativestowards collaboration that are based on common areas ofinterest and specialization.

The seminar led to:

>> Increased knowledge and understanding by UNEVOCprofessionals of innovative practices and exemplarsin TVET curricula; and

>> Increased familiarization with national and sub-regional success stories.

Plans for collaborative activities of UNEVOC Centres werealso developed.

During the meeting, a park in honour of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre was unveiled on thepremises of the Western Visayas College of Science and

Technology. Trees for UNESCO-UNEVOC as well as foreach of the participating countries were planted.

uneVoc International experts consultation oncapacity building of tVet Practitioners and leaders ofuneVoc centres Dublin, Ireland, 18-20 August 2008

Thirty-seven experts from UNEVOC Centres in 17countries (Botswana, China, Finland, Gambia, Georgia,Germany, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Netherlands,Norway, Philippines, Sweden, United States, Thailand,Vietnam and Zambia) participated in this consultation,which was jointly organized by the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre, the Dublin Institute of Technologyand InWEnt – Capacity Building International. Theconsultation focused on building capacity of TVETpractitioners and leaders of UNEVOC Centres throughenhanced cooperation between UNEVOC Centres indeveloped and developing countries, as well as betweenUNEVOC Centres in the various world regions.

At the seminar, issues for joint action and leaders forpotential thematic clusters within the Network wereidentified, the importance of the development ofstandards for TVET teachers / trainers by UNEVOC Centreswas stressed, and the need to develop an online portal forcommunication and knowledge exchange within theUNEVOC Network was articulated.

Roles and responsibilities of UNEVOC Centres to enhancecollaboration in the Network were also defined. Theyinclude the following:

Long-established and well-funded UNEVOC Centres:

>> Shall make approaches and methods available tonewer Centres;

>> In developed countries that are not already workingwith Centres in developing countries shall makeknown what they are willing to offer; and

>> Shall make available lists of experts willing to travelto other Centres for particular purposes.

Recently established and poorly resourced UNEVOCCentres:

>> Shall make their needs known through the UNEVOCe-Forum and/or a new Network portal; and

>> Shall seek assistance from other Network membersthrough the e-Forum and/or a new Network portal.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS11

Philippines. © Western Visayas College of Science and Technology

uneSco-uneVoc Sub-regional Seminar mbabane:Sharing of best Practices and Innovative Solutions Mbabane, Swaziland, 22-24 September, 2008

On invitation by the UNESCO National Commission ofSwaziland, 25 participants from UNEVOC Centres in 8countries in the Southern African region (Botswana,Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,Swaziland and Zimbabwe) came together at this seminarto exchange views on innovations and best practices inTVET, and to discuss areas for intensified collaboration.

Five priority areas, in which Centres will start to work onjoint projects, were defined:

>> Public Private Partnership;

>> Communication and reporting;

>> Capacity building;

>> Integration of entrepreneurial skills in TVET curricula;and

>> Learner materials development.

roundtable for uneVoc centres at the 6thInternational congress of Quality management ineducation and training Systems (cimqusef’ 2009)Rabat, Morocco, 16-18 December 2008

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre providedvarious kinds of support to the organization of the 6thInternational Congress of Quality Management inEducation and Training Systems (cimqusef’ 2009),including technical advice and funding (see the EFAsection of this report). The Centre also organized andimplemented a roundtable on strengthening the UNEVOCNetwork in the Arab States, which took place in thecontext of the congress. Fourteen educators from 8 Arabcountries participated and learned about UNESCO-UNEVOC, networking and how UNEVOC Centres cancontribute to knowledge building in TVET.

The roundtable had the following specific outcomes:

>> A greater understanding of the benefits to be derivedfrom UNESCO-UNEVOC and the UNEVOC Networks;

>> Increased interest in the UNEVOC Network andincreased knowledge about building the profile ofUNEVOC Centres in spite of the challenges faced bythe location of some UNEVOC Centres in institutionsunder the Ministries of Labour; and

>> Expression of interest by the leader of the ArabFederation for Technical Education in entering intoan agreement with UNESCO-UNEVOC relating to thetranslation of some UNEVOC publications.

Sub-regional Seminar/workshop: developing capacityof uneVoc centres and educators within theuneVoc network and training of Vocational teachereducatorsLuanprabang, Lao PDR, 7-9 April 2009

This UNEVOC sub-regional seminar was organized by theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre in partnershipwith InWEnt – Capacity Building International. TheVocational Education Development Centre of the Ministryof Education of Lao PDR also provided assistance to theorganization of the seminar. Twenty-seven TVET expertsfrom UNEVOC Centres and departments of TVET inCambodia, China, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines,Thailand and Vietnam participated.

With a twin focus on building capacity of vocationalleaders and the UNEVOC Network and on trainingvocational teacher educators, the seminar provided theparticipants with ample opportunities to exchangeexperiences, share successes, examine the nationaleffectiveness of UNEVOC Centres, and explore subjectsfor collaborative activities and enhanced communicationamong UNEVOC Centres.

At the end of the seminar, the participants had greaterknowledge and information about some good practicestaking place in the area of TVET. Increased awareness wascreated concerning making contributions to repositoriesof expertise and sharing knowledge through periodicreporting and communication of innovative practices.There was evidence of growing utilization of the UNEVOCNetwork as a source of expertise, knowledge andexemplars, and of the value of building strong nationalUNEVOC networks. By agreeing on subjects for possiblejoint activities, the seminar reinforced the basis forcollaborative action related to studies, research, andmutual learning.

uneVoc conference-cum-Seminar on reform anddevelopment of tVet and Strategies for developingtVet teacher education with reference tomozambiqueMaputo, Mozambique, 15-17 July 2009

This sub-regional conference-cum-seminar on the reformand development of TVET took place in Maputo,Mozambique, in July 2009 and was jointly organized byUNESCO-UNEVOC, the UNESCO Office in Maputo andOtto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg in Germany (aUNEVOC Centre). Institutions such as UniversitiPedagogic Maputo, the UNEVOC Centre at Ohio StateUniversity (USA), UNESCO Harare, UNESCO Windhoek,and the Southern African Development Community(SADC) also provided various forms of support.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS12

The 117 participants at the seminar includedMozambican vocational educators, planners andteachers; regional experts and TVET leaders such as chiefexecutive officers of TVET authorities from Botswana,Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique,Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda,Zambia, and Zimbabwe; as well as international experts.Among the participants were vocational educators andresearchers from UNEVOC Centres in various countries.There were also participants from NGOs and industry-related entities.

The conference/seminar focused on the following issues:

>> TVET policy and curriculum reform and development;

>> Improving access to, equity in and quality of TVET;

>> Innovation and best practice in the reform anddevelopment of TVET;

>> Training of technical and vocational teachers;

>> Distance education in TVET;

>> Blended learning; and

>> Strategies for international cooperation andcollaboration.

The conference/seminar provided insights into variousaspects of TVET reform, as a range of issues concerningstrategies, situations, processes, national approaches andinternational perspectives in the development of TVETwere discussed. The conference/seminar laid thefoundation for enhanced collaboration and exchangesand helped to reinforce relationships within the UNEVOCNetwork in the sub-region, as well as between UNEVOCCentres in the region and those from abroad. As follow-up action, the development of case studies of good andinnovative practices was recommended. In response tothis recommendation, the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre decided to launch a project designedto set up a TVET Best Practice Clearinghouse (TVET-BPC).The clearinghouse will harness, document and evaluatebest practices with the aim of supporting the UNEVOCNetwork and key TVET stakeholders.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS13

Germany. © UNESCO/Susanne Taron

uneVoc Sub-regional Seminar: Increasing nationaland regional effectiveness of uneVoc centres forcapacity building and Innovation of tVetSuratthani, Thailand, 24-26 November 2009

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre and theOffice of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC),Ministry of Education, Thailand, cooperated in theorganization of this sub-regional seminar on increasingthe effectiveness of UNEVOC Centres nationally,regionally and internationally. Following on the outcomesof different regional seminars and international expertsconsultations held in the past few years, it was designedto increase the effectiveness of the UNEVOC Network,thereby contributing to the good profile and visibility ofUNEVOC Centres.

In particular, the seminar intended to fulfil the role andgoal of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre inproviding various forms of assistance to UNEVOCprofessionals and vocational educators and leaderstowards the development and improvement of TVET. Itsobjectives were for participants to:

>> Learn about how to build an effective UNEVOCNetwork of good profile and visibility nationally,regionally and internationally;

>> Be acquainted with what works under whatconditions in utilizing the UNEVOC Network;

>> Share tools, methods and experiences in innovatingTVET policy and curricula; and

>> Develop an effective ongoing framework forcollaboration among UNEVOC Centres.

With the Thai UNEVOC Network at the centre, theseminar targeted professionals from selected UNEVOCCentres from East Asia and South-East Asia. It specificallydealt with the following issues:

>> Why and how to increase national effectiveness andutility of the UNEVOC Networks;

>> Innovative practices in TVET curricula and policy;

>> Challenges in innovating policy and curricula of TVETprogrammes;

>> Challenges in using the UNEVOC Network and innetworking and fostering mutual learning andassistance;

>> Reporting and sharing innovations and goodpractices locally and throughout the UNEVOCNetwork; and

>> Overcoming challenges in strengthening TVETthrough the effective utilization of the UNEVOCNetwork.

Twenty-four UNEVOC professionals from China, Lao PDR,Malaysia and Thailand participated in the seminar. Theparticipants from each of these countries presentedabout the current state of and developments in their TVETsystem and addressed how the UNEVOC Network and theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre have been helpfulin addressing challenges.

The seminar strengthened UNEVOC Centres by buildingtheir capacity in networking and exchanging innovativepractices, as well as by supporting initiatives towardscollaboration. The participants were also familiarizedwith national and sub-regional success stories,innovative practices, exemplars in TVET and how UNEVOCCentres have been effective as sources of expertise andinformation.

uneVoc network Portal

In order to support networking and communicationwithin the UNEVOC Network of TVET institutions,UNESCO-UNEVOC began developing an online UNEVOCNetwork Portal in 2009. This portal will containinformation and communication features for exclusiveuse of UNEVOC Network members. It will be launched in2010.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS14

Greece. © ILO/J. Maillard

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS15

UNESCO-UNEVOC hosts an Internet-based virtualcommunity and electronic mail forum (e-Forum), whichdirectly links individual TVET experts around the world.The e-Forum brings together educators, researchers andother interested individuals to share TVET information ona non-commercial basis. It is an excellent way for thoseworking on skills development and employability issuesto cooperate and communicate with partners around theworld. Messages may include:

>> Discussions on a wide variety of TVET topics,including TVET system development; nationalqualification frameworks; basic TVET skills; the imageand status of TVET; TVET for sustainabledevelopment; involvement of the private sector toimprove TVET systems; learning within the socio-economic context of the workplace; etc.;

>> Announcements of international conferences andworkshops;

>> Information on new publications and resources;

>> Enquiries about materials that can be useful for anindividual’ s work in TVET and that may be availableabroad (e.g. curriculum materials, etc.); and

UNESCO-UNEVOC e-Forum

>> Finding partners for international cooperation.

During 2008-2009, membership in the e-Forum and thenumber and quality of messages and discussions onceagain increased substantially. At the end of 2009, morethan 1250 TVET experts from more than 140 countries, aswell as representatives of around 25 regional andinternational organizations working in the area of TVET,were members of the e-Forum community. The number ofmessages more than doubled from 831 in 2006-2007 to1782 messages from around 400 e-Forum members in2008-2009.

To enable discussion and exchange on TVET topicsrelevant to Latin America and the Caribbean, in 2007UNESCO-UNEVOC established the “ Foro de correoelectró nico hispano-luso” (Spanish-Portuguese E-mailForum). This mailing list is smaller than the mostlyEnglish e-Forum and is used more infrequently: In 2008-2009, a total of around 50 contributors exchanged some150 messages.

In the past few years, the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre developed a new wiki-based online collaborationportal for the exchange of relevant and high-qualityinformation and knowledge about TVET from around theworld.

On 19 March 2009, the Centre launched the new portal,which is entitled “ TVETipedia” . TVETipedia, which in2009 was an English-only portal, aims to promote TVETdevelopment and innovation and enable TVET policymakers, researchers and practitioners to shareinformation and experiences such as:

>> TVET policy documents;

>> Curricula;

>> Learning materials;

>> Success stories; and

>> Good practices and lessons learnt.

On the TVETipedia platform, registered users can add andedit text, link to other websites, and upload documentsrelevant to TVET. The English launch of TVETipedia wasthe first step in the development of what UNEVOC hopeswill be a truly global, open and multi-lingual online spacefor TVET. Users are free to contribute content in UNlanguages other than English.

Since the launch of TVETipedia, UNESCO-UNEVOC haspromoted the platform at various activities in Africa, Asiaand the Arab States.

THE UNEVOC NETWORKS16

TVETipedia

tVetipedia developments in 2009

No. of different authors: 53

No. of total edits: 1882

No. of different pages edited: 278

No. of new users: 667

New subscribers via TVETipedia form: 240

No. of new uploads: 77

EDUCATION FOR ALL17

although there has been steady progress towardsachieving the Education For All (EFA) goals,international reports, such as the Global EFAMonitoring Report (2008), show that more has to be doneto accelerate progress towards the goals, especially inSub-Saharan Africa, South and West Asia, and some ArabStates. The internationally agreed goals for EFA includeTVET notably in goal 3, “ to ensure that the learningneeds of all young people and adults are met throughequitable access to appropriate learning and life-skillsprogrammes.” In earlier years, the link between TVET andEFA was not so strongly understood. The position longadvocated by UNESCO-UNEVOC now has a widerresonance; i.e. that basic education (the cornerstone ofEFA) can occur in primary, secondary and vocationallevels in both formal and non-formal settings, andfurther, that EFA cannot be achieved without a rapidexpansion of high-quality, relevant TVET. To ensureproductive economic progress and sustainablecommunities, quality, relevant skills for employability andcitizenship must be broadly available to all.

Governments, training authorities and many TVETinstitutions themselves are increasingly interested inTVET reform. There is now a growing awareness that insituations of scarce resources, the efficiency andeffectiveness of TVET is of paramount importance. TVETneeds to be as dynamic as the economies andcommunities it serves. Rapid changes in technology andemployment patterns, in demographic growth and socialexpectations, and many other factors drive the need toreform as well as to expand TVET. Regardless of specificissues, there is a general need for a comprehensiveenhancement of national capacity in TVET planning andmanagement.

In line with the overall prioritization of EFA within theUNESCO Programme and Budget for the biennium 2008-2009, UNESCO-UNEVOC provided support to UNESCOMember States through the UNEVOC Networks andvarious training and human resource developmentmodalities, as well as through the UNEVOC onlineservices and publications. UNESCO-UNEVOC organizedactivities in cooperation with Member States, donors andpartner agencies on topical and pertinent issues relatedto TVET and EFA that are of particular relevance todeveloping countries, countries in transition, and those ina post-conflict situation. Through various activities suchas seminars, workshops, conferences, expert consultationmeetings, research, publications and networking,UNESCO-UNEVOC contributed to implementing EFAprogrammes in 2008-2009. The Centre assisted MemberStates develop and improve TVET by advocating theintegration of TVET as part of their education planning,and as well by integrating emerging issues into TVET. Inparticular, the Centre’ s work focused on the followingareas:

>> Strengthening TVET;

>> Public private partnership in TVET;

>> Youth employment;

>> TVET teachers and trainers;

>> Entrepreneurship education;

>> Information and communication technologies (ICTs)in TVET;

>> Adult education; and

>> Inclusive education.

EDUCATION FOR ALL

corporate human resource development and Skillsdevelopment for employment: Scope and StrategiesBali, Indonesia, 24-26 November 2008

As a major contribution to the United Nations Decade ofEducation for Sustainable Development 2005-2014,InWEnt – Capacity Building International, incollaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC and the SoutheastAsian Ministers of Education Organisation RegionalCentre for Vocational and Technical Education andTraining (SEAMEO VOCTECH) jointly organized anInternational Conference in Bali, Indonesia from 24 to 26

November 2008. The purpose of the conference, whichwas entitled Corporate Human Resource Developmentand Skills Development for Employment: Scope andStrategies, was to share national qualificationsframework (NQF) models with and among the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries inorder to enhance skills-recognition arrangements acrossASEAN, and to examine international tendencies inhuman resource development (HRD) at the workplace.

The conference highlighted and provided information onregional arrangements to serve as a context for

Strengthening TVET

discussing and potentially developing new measures forASEAN; outlined the aims, objectives, and activities ofInWEnt’ s current project Innovation Network South EastAsia for TVET and Sustainable Development; provided anoverview of options for HRD in companies to make TVETgraduates more employable through demand-driven skillsdevelopment, and compared strategies and tools for HRDfrom the participating countries and donor agencies.

workshop on revitalizing tVet Provision in ecowaScountriesAbuja, Nigeria, 17-20 August 2009

Given a growing movement to invigorate TVET in WestAfrica, the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) and UNESCO-BREDA held a joint workshop onTVET revitalization and TVET harmonization in Abuja,Nigeria, on 17-20 August 2009. The UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre participated in and presented at thisevent. The main objective of the workshop was to createa platform for sharing knowledge and experiences on thereform, revitalization and expansion of national TVETsystems to improve skills delivery, employability andmobility of youth within ECOWAS member states. Theprogress made and results obtained by Nigeria inreforming its TVET system through the UNESCO-NigeriaTVE Revitalization Project1 were highlighted as goodpractice that can serve as a model for other ECOWASmember states. Nigeria currently has more than 750secondary and post-secondary TVET institutions and isoften recognized as having the most advanced TVETsystem in the sub-region.

Roughly 70 representatives of Ministries of Educationfrom the 15 ECOWAS countries (Benin, Burkina Faso,Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, IvoryCoast, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Nigeria), UNESCO ClusterOffices, various UN organizations and other internationalpartners such as the African Development Bank took partin the workshop. A UNESCO-UNEVOC consultant,together with the president of RAIFFET (African Networkof TVET Teacher Training Institutions, Libreville, Gabon),gave a presentation on network support in TVET. Theconsultant also facilitated a session on sharingexperiences within regional networks. This resulted in anexpressed commitment by the participants to exchangecurricula and national qualifications frameworks (NQFs).

The workshop resulted in a resolution calling for theharmonization of TVET qualifications and TVET systems inthe ECOWAS region, a process which will be called the“ Abuja Process”.

review of the tVet System in malawi: nationalSeminarLilongwe, Malawi, 2-3 November 2009

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre contributed to aCapacity Building for Education for All (CapEFA)2 activity ledby the UNESCO Office in Harare to strengthen TVET inMalawi. The Centre prepared a paper entitled “ InternationalReview and Synthesis of TVET Reform: Reforming to Last andfor a Brighter Future” , which was presented as a key text toinform the analyses and discussions at the national seminarThe Review of TVET System in Malawi for the Past Ten Years:

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Zimbabwe. © ILO/J. Maillard

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Successes and Challenges (Lilongwe, Malawi, 2-3 November2009). This seminar was organized to facilitate a review ofTVET issues that confront Malawi against the backdrop of itsown experiences in the past ten years, developments inother countries in the region, and experiences elsewhere inthe world.

The main goal of the seminar was to enhance theMinistry of Education’ s capacity to develop, implement,monitor and review legal and policy frameworks for TVETin Malawi to ensure that such documents respond tonational challenges and realities as well as to regionaland international trends and developments.

The seminar resulted in the formulation ofrecommendations in the areas of TVET policy,institutional frameworks, monitoring and enforcement,and programmes.

harnessing Qualifications frameworks towardsQuality assurance in tVet in asiaManila, Philippines, 1-2 December 2009

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, the ColomboPlan Staff College (CPSC) and InWEnt – Capacity BuildingInternational jointly conducted an internationalconference on Harnessing Qualifications FrameworksTowards Quality Assurance in TVET in Manila, Philippines,on 30 November to 2 December 2009. Over 200 TVETexperts from 35 countries in Asia participated in theconference, which examined issues and challenges indeveloping qualifications frameworks at the national,regional, and international levels. Tested models ofconceptual frameworks were presented, and differentcase studies on developing regional qualificationsframeworks were showcased. The participants exchangedexperiences and innovative practices in the developmentand implementation of national qualificationsframeworks in the region. They also developed strategiesfor the successful development and implementation of aregional qualifications framework for TVET in Asia. AUNESCO-UNEVOC consultant delivered a keynote addresson comparative perspectives on qualificationsframeworks and chaired the plenary session on currentinitiatives in quality assurance in TVET.

International expert meeting on education andtraining for the changing world of work: meetingthe demands of the business environmentHangzhou, China, 7-9 December 2009

UNESCO-UNEVOC and the Chinese National Commissionfor UNESCO, with the support of Zhejiang TechnologyInstitute of Economy (ZJTIE, a UNEVOC Centre), ZhejiangMaterials industry Group Corporation (China) and the

UNESCO Office (Hanoi), organized the InternationalExpert Meeting on Education and Training for theChanging World of Work: Meeting the Demands of theBusiness Environment, which took place from 7-9December 2009 and was hosted by the ZhejiangTechnology Institute of Economy, Hangzhou, China.

The aim of the meeting was to address the issues ofeconomic and social development within the context ofthe changing nature of industry and work, the pressuresof global financial crisis and the limits and opportunitiesposed by climate change and other environmentalimperatives to create opportunities for TVET to contributenot only to enhanced productivity but also to socialdevelopment and environmental protection. It spelt outthe implications of a broadening of TVET from the narrowtask of providing training for industry and occupation-specific skills to the broader task of workforcedevelopment and lifelong learning for sustainabledevelopment and citizenship.

The meeting provided opportunity for the participants toidentify drivers of change in the workplace and theimplication of these for policy and innovative practice inTVET, focusing on the following issues:

>> TVET curriculum development and delivery;

>> Research and innovation on school to worktransition; and

>> Recognition, certification, accreditation and qualityassurance in TVET teacher education.

Twenty participants from China, Germany, Lao PDR,Nepal, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand andVietnam, including representatives of several UNEVOCCentres, participated in the meeting. A visit to ZJTIEcampus (a UNEVOC Centre) was arranged, where aseminar was organized with 29 TVET experts includingthe leaders and staff of ZJTIE.

1 For more information about this project please visit the website athttp://unesco-nigeriatve.org/ 2 Capacity Building for Education for All (CapEFA) is an extra-budge-tary technical assistance programme through which donors poolvoluntary contributions to support national capacity-building andupstream activities in high-priority areas for educational development.Since its inception in 2003, it has evolved in focus and scope, shapedby UNESCO’ s biennial planning and reforms, lessons learnt, progressreports, evaluations, and interactions with donors. The programmeconcentrates on a limited number of selected country proposals, withAfrica and least developed countries (LDCs) being the programme’ spriority. It is dedicated exclusively to upstream activities and only allowsdownstream activities to the extent that they are entirely justified.

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Public Private Partnership

Around the world, countries face the challenge of havingto renovate their TVET systems to better meet trade andindustry requirements for qualified labour and thepopulation’ s need for skills and qualifications that arerelevant to employment. TVET systems in many countriesare in need of reform to overcome the mismatch betweenTVET output and the demands of the labour market. Onestrategy to address this issue is to foster the involvementof stakeholders from both the public and the privatesectors in the various aspects of TVET. The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre is engaged in promotingsuch public private partnerships in TVET. In 2008-2009,the Centre was involved in the following activities:

10th german world bank forum on “ the asiancentury: challenges in the economic crisis” Frankfurt, Germany, 20 November 2008

The 10th German World Bank Forum, in which theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre participated, tookplace in Frankfurt, Germany, on 20 November 2008. Themain objective of the meeting was to gain insights fromand access to eminent representatives from the worlds ofpolitics, business, and civil society regarding the growingimportance of Asia for the world economy and its impacton the world’ s international financial architecture.

The forum was hosted by the World Bank Group and thegovernment of Germany. A wide range of experts, policymakers and practitioners from various countries anddevelopment organizations as well as representatives ofthe private sector attended and shared views on theglobal financial crisis as it affects the debates aroundfood, micro-finance and climate change as social missionvs. business opportunity, with particular reference to

Asia. A representative of UNESCO-UNEVOC presented thework of the Centre and addressed questions about howthe financial crisis affects education and training at theworkshop session “ From Conflict to Prosperity: CountryConcerns Vietnam” . Copies of recently publishedUNESCO-UNEVOC materials were also distributed to theconference participants.

International Symposium on Public Private Partnershipin tVet Manila, Philippines, 1-2 December 2008

On 1-2 December 2008, the first InternationalSymposium on Public Private Partnership in TVET tookplace in Manila, Philippines. The Symposium wasorganized by UNESCO-UNEVOC in collaboration withInWEnt – Capacity Building International and ColomboPlan Staff College (CPSC), which also hosted the event.

At the symposium, major challenges and opportunitiesfor public private partnership in the area of education forthe world of work were examined and differentapproaches and best practices in public privatepartnership for sustainable TVET in the Asia-Pacificregion were identified and shared.

The TVET stakeholders who attended the symposiumincluded government officials, policy makers, heads ofprivate institutions and non-governmental organizations,and experts in the field. Two staff members of theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, including theDirector, gave speeches and chaired sessions at thesymposium.

Youth Employment

The formal and informal economies of both developedand developing countries rely heavily on young people’ slabour. Many young people are engaged in work,particularly in the services sector, even whilst they arefull-time students. Sometimes, young people are workingin hazardous conditions or in entirely unpaid positions,for example as carers and domestic servants in the home.At the same time, the International Labour Office (ILO)has estimated that youth unemployment accounts for

around 44 percent of the unemployed on a global level.3

As young people’ s participation in full-time education isrising across the world, the transition to formal andpermanent paid employment is being delayed. Therelationship between young people and work is,therefore, a complex and shifting one, which poses manychallenges for TVET policies and practice. In 2008-2009,UNESCO-UNEVOC addressed the issue of youthemployment through various activities.

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Philippines. © World Bank/Edwin Huffmann

3 International Labour Organization (ILO). 2006. Global EmploymentTrends for Youth. Geneva: ILO.

International Project week of tVet Institutions Detmold, Germany, 5 March 2008

In March 2008, the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre supported Felix-Fechenbach-Berufskolleg’ s (FFB)International Project Week for Vocational Educators. FFBis a vocational college based in Detmold, Germany. Thecollege’ s policy is to train its students in an internationalcontext by creating an international atmosphere thatsupports exchange programmes for students andteachers as well as joint international activities withvocational institutions in different countries. The collegehas formal ties with schools in Chile, the Czech Republic,Finland, Japan, Lithuania and the USA.

In the context of the college’ s international work, theproject week took place at its premises on 3-8 March2008. TVET teachers from institutions in all partnercountries participated. The focus of the activities duringthe week was on aspects of international training,partnerships and cooperation in TVET. In addition, therewas an emphasis on vocational opportunities in thecountries represented as well as on ecological and healthaspects in vocational and cooperative training.

On the main day of the project week (Wednesday, 5March 2008), high level officials and representativesfrom various institutions participated in the paneldiscussion “ … on the way to global vocational training“ .A representative of UNESCO-UNEVOC gave the keynoteaddress at this event and was a member of the panel.

adea 2008 biennale on Post-Primary education Maputo, Mozambique, 5-9 May 2008

Post-primary education, which has been identified as oneof the greatest challenges facing education systems inAfrica, was the theme of the 2008 ADEA Biennale onEducation in Africa, which was held on 5-9 May 2008 inMaputo, Mozambique. The Biennale gathered nearly 500participants and served as the most significanteducational event for the African region in 2008.Ministers of Education from 36 Sub-Saharan Africancountries, bilateral and multilateral developmentagencies, experts from Ministries and universities, as wellas representatives from civil society were invited toparticipate. UNESCO-UNEVOC contributed to theBiennale through reporting on a study the Centre hadcommissioned in Kenya on improving the attractivenessof TVET and introducing a volume of the UNEVOC BookSeries entitled Vocationalization of Secondary EducationRevisited. A representative of the Centre gave apresentation on “ Vocationalization of SecondaryEducation Revisited: An Overview” in the parallel sessionon skills development in TVET.

The Biennale sought to provide the educationalcommunity in Africa with the research, tools, andcapacity to advance post-primary education across thecontinent. It addressed three major areas: the extensionof basic education to include lower secondary education,TVET and labour markets in urban and rural settings, andlinkages between upper secondary and higher education.

4th global Youth employment Summit Baku, Azerbaijan, 24-27 September 2008

A representative of the UNESCO-UNEVOC InternationalCentre participated in the Fourth Global YouthEmployment Summit (YES), which assembled in Baku,Azerbaijan, on 24-27 September 2008. The Summitreaffirmed the essential message articulated at theprevious YES summits held in Egypt (2002), Mexico(2004) and Kenya (2006) and to begin preparing newinitiatives for the 2010 YES Summit to be held in Sweden.YES aims to empower its networks to attain its ambitiousgoal of creating 2 million employment opportunities foryouth worldwide by 2012.

The Summit was hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijanthrough the Ministry of Youth and Sport, in partnershipwith Youth Employment and Sustainability (YES) Inc.Roughly 600 delegates (including 30 governmentdelegations) from nearly 75 countries participated.

The UNESCO-UNEVOC representative made a substantivecontribution to the Summit and presented the work ofthe Centre to aid UNESCO Member States in improvingemployability and citizenship. In addition, UNESCO-UNEVOC was invited to present a keynote address at aMinisters’ forum that took place in the context of theSummit. The address covered the following issues:

>> The importance of TVET for youth in both developedand developing countries;

>> Key issues related to youth employment that need tobe addressed in the context of strengthening andupgrading TVET; and

>> Suggestions for promoting partnerships with keyactors, including the private sector.

The Ministers’ Forum was chaired by the Minister ofYouth and Sport of Azerbaijan and moderated by theDeputy Minister of Economic Development. Ministers ofEducation, of Youth and Sport, as well as of Labour fromAzerbaijan, Egypt, India, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, SouthAfrica, Tanzania and Uganda were in attendance. Inaddition, representatives from various internationalorganizations, including the President of YES, the ILOSub-regional Director for Eastern Europe and CentralAsia, and regional representatives from ETF, UNICEF andUNDP participated in the meeting.

first agence française de développement (afd) –german technical cooperation (gtZ) conference onbeyond Primary education: the relevance of tVet inPost Primary education for allBerlin, Germany, 23 October 2008

UNESCO-UNEVOC contributed to the 1st AFD-GTZConference on Beyond Primary Education: The Relevanceof TVET in Post-Primary Education for All, which was heldin Berlin, Germany, on 23 October 2008. The conferencefocused on the relevance of TVET in post-primaryeducation in light of the significant progress to datetoward achieving universal primary education andaddressed issues regarding achieving sustainabledevelopment and the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).

The objectives of the meeting were to share views on therelevance of TVET in post-primary education from theperspectives of European development cooperation inTVET; to develop a common understanding of TVET inpost-primary education and to identify principles toguide future joint work; and to develop strategies andinstruments for post-primary education and skillsdevelopment.

A wide rage of experts, policy makers and practitioners(around 100 participants) from GTZ partner countries andother development organizations attended theconference and shared their views. A UNESCO-UNEVOCrepresentative contributed to the session ‘ EmbeddingTVET in Post-primary Strategies: A Holistic Approach’and presented the work of UNEVOC in the area of school-to-work transition and youth-related issues at the post-primary level.

exploring the changing nature of Youth transitionsand the Youth labour market: an InternationalSeminarLondon, United Kingdom, 10-12 November 2008

This seminar, which was jointly organized by theUNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre and the Instituteof Education of the University of London, broughttogether leading international experts in the fields ofyouth transitions, TVET and labour economics to examineand discuss the changing relationship between youngpeople, vocational education and work in contemporarysociety.

The aims of the seminar were to:

>> Showcase the latest research and identify gaps inknowledge and understanding of the issues;

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TVET Teachers/Trainers

Professionalization of TVET teachers and trainers as wellas of TVET teacher educators/trainers is widely regardedas one of the most important issues that affect theeffectiveness and quality of any TVET system. Althoughmany variables affect the success of education andtraining programmes, it is the nature of the interactionbetween teacher/trainers and those being taught thathas the greatest impact on the outcomes achieved.

Seminar on teaching: Professionalization, develop-ment and leadership Oxford, United Kingdom, 19-20 June 2008

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre worked withthe University of Oxford’ s Education Department to

organize a seminar that addressed various issues relatedto improving the status of TVET teacher educators as ameans to improving the status and standing of TVET as awhole. Experts and specialists working in the area ofteacher professionalization examined key issues such asthe professional development and leadership of the TVETteaching profession to attract more qualified candidatesinto the occupation and thereby to also attract morequalified students and improve staff retention andstudent drop-out rates.

Entrepreneurship Education

All over the world, young people face highly uncertainfutures when slow growth in the economy is coupledwith very fast growth in the youth population. In essence,many economies have no hope of growing fast enough toabsorb the numbers of young people entering the labourmarket. The impact of the ‘ youth bulge’ is significant.Unemployment, informality and inactivity arethreatening the labour-market prospects of youth acrossthe world. Lack of opportunities and recurring frustrationcan put youth at risk, increasing feelings of socialexclusion and reducing social cohesion. In the context ofeconomic environments where there are no guaranteesfor lifelong, stable and salaried employment, for financialsecurity or for professional development, self-employment and entrepreneurship become particularlyviable options.

Entrepreneurship education (EPE) is about creating anentrepreneurial mindset/culture that fosters innovation,problem-solving and active citizenship, where individualshave the self-confidence and belief in their ability tosucceed in whatever they choose. It is about increasingindividuals’ ability to anticipate and respond to societalchanges and encourages individuals to develop and takeinitiative, responsibility and risks. Not every person whoundertakes entrepreneurship education will become anentrepreneur and be self employed, but the skillsacquired, especially when linked with practical skills indemand, will surely make a contribution to personalempowerment and increase individual capacities foremployability and citizenship. Indeed, the EuropeanCommission calls entrepreneurship a “ new basic skill” .The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre has donework in the area of EPE since 2008.

>> Highlight ways in which youth transitions fromeducation to employment are evolving in differentcountries;

>> Discuss the position and experience of young peoplein employment (paid and unpaid);

>> Examine how gender, social class and ethnicityimpact on young people’ s employment and TVETopportunities;

>> Map vocational pathways taken by young people andthe patterns of inequality and social exclusion thatexist within and across these pathways;

>> Examine the relevance of traditional models ofvocational education such as apprenticeships in

contemporary society and the impact of expandedsystems of higher education; and

>> Identify examples of good and innovative practice inrelation to supporting young people throughtransitional phases, with particular reference tocareer advice and guidance.

The participants explored the changing nature and ‘ livedexperiences’ of transitions from education to work andthe nature of youth labour markets from a range ofinternational perspectives. They also debated the waytransition is conceptualized around the world and how itsmeaning has shifted over time. Different methodologicalapproaches to researching the topic and the complexitiesinvolved in longitudinal data collection were considered.

Inter-regional Seminar on entrepreneurship education Bangkok, Thailand, 11-16 February 2008

The Inter-regional Seminar on EntrepreneurshipEducation was organized by UNESCO´s Division for thePromotion of Basic Education. Representatives fromUNESCO Regional Bureaux for Education, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, other UN agencies andeducation experts from all world regions participated.

The meeting addressed the issue of entrepreneurshipeducation in a global context. Specific objectives were to:

>> Exchange practical and concrete experiences ofentrepreneurship education at the secondaryeducation and TVET levels;

>> Facilitate partnership- and network-building amongthe participants; and

>> Recommend ways of promoting entrepreneurshipeducation that respond to the current needs andconditions of UNESCO Member States around the world.

A representative of UNESCO-UNEVOC gave the overviewpresentation to set the scene for the discussions at theseminar. The presentation was on “ Skills Development,TVET and Entrepreneurship Education”.

The outcomes of the seminar included recommendationsfor the establishment of an entrepreneurship educationwebsite as a repository of information for practitionersand developers of entrepreneurship education and the

establishment of an international entrepreneurshipeducation working group.

first meeting of the International working group onentrepreneurship education Frankfurt, Germany, 27-29 October 2008

The first meeting of the International Working Group onEntrepreneurship Education, of which the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre is a member, took place inFrankfurt, Germany, on 27-29 October 2008. Around 20education experts from various internationalorganizations, national governments andentrepreneurship education providers met to shareexperiences and build partnerships, and to determinemeans for the International Working Group (IWG) topromote entrepreneurship education that responds tocurrent needs and conditions of countries worldwide. Thethree-day programme of the meeting consisted of amixture of presentations of experiences and discussionson the scope and framework of the IWG.

The establishment of the International Working Group onEntrepreneurship Education was an outcome of theUNESCO Inter-regional Seminar on EntrepreneurshipEducation (Bangkok, February 2008). Under theleadership of UNESCO, the IWG aims to promoteknowledge sharing, support current activities and initiatejoint activities and the development of resources in thearea of entrepreneurship education.

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Jordan. © UNESCO/Maja Zarini

entrepreneurship education in the arab States2009-2012

In 2009, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, inclose collaboration with the UNESCO Office Beirut, beganimplementing an activity entitled EntrepreneurshipEducation in the Arab States. This four-year extra-budgetary activity, which is funded by the StratREALFoundation (UK), supports interested countries in theregion in the development of educational policies andprogrammes that integrate entrepreneurship educationinto their education systems.

In order to trigger change in public policy, it is importantto raise issues and start debates in a coordinated andsystematic fashion. In the area of entrepreneurshipeducation and training, it is important to examine theeducation systems and highlight examples of goodpractice that exist within or without those systems.Component I of this activity, which was started in 2009and will be completed in the first quarter of 2010,identifies examples of entrepreneurship education in theregion and examines the status of entrepreneurshipeducation in the education systems of four selectedcountries, namely Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Tunisia. TheNational Centre for Human Resources Development inJordan (a UNEVOC Centre), as well as UNEVOC Centres inOman and Tunisia, are collaborating with UNESCO in thisactivity.

A regional synthesis report, which includes guidelines forthe successful integration of entrepreneurship educationinto education systems in the region, as well as the casestudies, will be published in the first half of 2010. Thesynthesis report will be an important input for countriesthat aim to develop strategic plans for the incorporationof entrepreneurship education into their educationsystems. It will also guide the implementation ofComponent II of the project (2010-2012).

developing capacity for the mainstreaming of cross-cutting Issues into the curricula of Schools andteacher training Institutions in angola2009-2010

Developing Capacity for the Mainstreaming of Cross-Cutting Issues into the Curricula of Schools and TeacherTraining Institutions in Angola is a UNESCO project thatprovides assistance to Angola for the reconstruction of itseducation system within the Capacity Building for EFA(CapEFA)4 initiative. Implemented by the UNESCOWindhoek Office in collaboration with the InternationalBureau for Education (IBE) and the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre, this project takes place within the

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4 Capacity Building for Education for All (CapEFA) is an extra-budge-tary technical assistance programme through which donors poolvoluntary contributions to support national capacity-building andupstream activities in high-priority areas for educational development.Since its inception in 2003, it has evolved in focus and scope, shapedby UNESCO’ s biennial planning and reforms, lessons learnt, progressreports, evaluations, and interactions with donors. The programmeconcentrates on a limited number of selected country proposals, withAfrica and least developed countries (LDCs) being the programme’ spriority. It is dedicated exclusively to upstream activities and onlyallows downstream activities to the extent that they are entirely justi-fied.

framework of UNESCO’ s participation in the broaderUnited Nations Development Assistance Framework(UNDAF) joint assessment and planning exercise forAngola (2009-2013) as a means of contributing tocapacity development in the realms of curriculumdevelopment and teacher education.

Building on the outcomes of the UNESCO 2006-07CapEFA project phase one in Angola, the project focuseson cross-cutting issues in the curriculum. Educationabout cross-cutting issues such as peace and humanrights, gender, HIV and AIDS, the environment, cultureand entrepreneurship are important for the developmentof life- and work-relevant competencies. The project aimsto reinforce the capacities of decision makers, curriculumspecialists and teachers to mainstream such cross-cutting issues, especially in primary and secondarycurricula for both general education and TVET. Due to itsfocus on competency development and transversal issues,it contributes to the implementation of the Education forAll National Plan for Angola by way of enhancing qualityin education and the development of relevant life skills.

UNESCO-UNEVOC supports this project as a resourceagency and by providing technical assistance in the areaof entrepreneurship education. In particular, it is aimed toassist the Directorate of TVET in developing a strategyand programmes for skills development for youthemployability. It is also planned to set up a UNEVOCCentre in Angola in the context of this project.

On 18-24 April 2009, a UNESCO team, including arepresentative of UNEVOC, undertook an exploratorymission to Luanda, Angola, to assess the needs anddemands of the various education stakeholders in Angola.The mission involved the launch workshop of the projectand discussions with various education officials. After themission, a comprehensive work plan for 2010, when theproject will be implemented, was developed.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) arebecoming increasingly important in education andtraining and have opened up new potential in learning.ICTs need to be harnessed, for example to provide morewidespread access to TVET. Yet in many parts of theworld, the use of ICTs in TVET is still very limited. Some ofthe issues that need to be addressed are capacitydevelopment, access and connectivity, as well aslocalization, customization and content development.The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre fosters thedevelopment and use of ICTs in TVET through its variousactivities, including its online services, collaborationwithin the UNEVOC Network, and workshops, seminarsand other activities organized jointly with partnerorganizations.

Virtual conference on educational Issues in Secondlife / Virtual world in tVet 30 March 2008

On 30 March 2008, representatives of UNESCO-UNEVOC,Felix-Fechenbach-Berufskolleg (Germany), Saint PaulCollege (USA), Atlanta Technical College (USA) and otherorganizations participated in a virtual conference thattook place on the Second Life platform.

The objectives of the meeting were to get hands-onexperience of education in virtual worlds, to showcase thepossibilities of the Second Life technology, and tointroduce possibilities for applying virtual environments inTVET.

The conference provided good insights into the richpossibilities of the immersive Second Life platform forlearning and training.

Icts in tVet teacher education in china April 2008

In April 2008, UNESCO-UNEVOC conducted a study tomap issues, concerns and prospects regarding the use ofnew ICT applications in the area of TVET teachereducation and training in China.

In this context, Zhenjiang Technology Institute ofEconomy (ZJTIE, a UNEVOC Centre in China), incollaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC and the ChineseNational Commission for UNESCO, organized a visit of aUNEVOC consultant to a number of ICT/TVET teachertraining projects in Zhenjiang Province. The visit tookplace on 9-10 April 2008. The consultant gatheredinformation about the work being undertaken in the area

of ICTs in TVET teacher education in China with specialreference to best practices and innovative approaches. Healso evaluated possibilities to add further advancedtechnologies to create excellence in skills performance.The consultant had meetings with several responsibledelegates, senior education officers and specialists todiscuss the needs, demands and economic relevance ofthe development and improvement of emerging skills inChina.

The study, which after completion was submitted to theChinese partners, details the current status quo andincludes a needs analysis and recommendations forfurther action.

2nd and 3rd african tVet Summits at elearningafrica Accra, Ghana, 27 May 2008 and Dakar, Senegal, 27 May2009

The annual UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Summit on Accessand Inclusion: Improving TVET through ICT-basedInformation and Learning Solutions is a special eventwithin the pan-African eLearning Africa conference, thelargest gathering of e-learning and distance educationprofessionals in Africa.

In 2008-2009, TVET Summits were held in Accra, Ghana(27 May 2008) and Dakar, Senegal (27 May 2009).Respectively, they brought together 150 and 100education experts from around 80 countries in Africa andaround the world, including TVET policy makers,researchers and practitioners. A large percentage of theparticipants came from countries in Africa. They sharedexperiences and discussed strategies and implementationmechanisms for the integration and sustainable use ofICTs in TVET.

Each of the Summits featured a variety of innovativeTVET initiatives and projects, including:

>> TVET telecentres;

>> Initiatives to encourage networking and communitybuilding in TVET;

>> Open and distance learning (ODL) / ICTs to expandand improve teaching and learning in communityhealth nursing (CHN);

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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in TVET

>> Radio for development;

>> Mobile learning;

>> A cross-continent TVET map exercise;

>> The activities of the CISCO Networking Academy;

>> A quality certification for e-learning in capacitybuilding; and

>> Online knowledge sharing in the area of educationfor the world of work.

The Summits addressed the following questions, amongothers:

>> What are the benefits of using ICTs in TVET?

>> What is the current status of e-learning and ICTs inAfrican TVET? Who is active in the field? Who are thepioneers on the ground?

>> What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunitiesand threats of ICTs in TVET in Africa?

>> What are the lessons learnt in developed countriesand how can they be applied to Africa?

In addition to examining and promoting the use of ICTsin TVET in Africa, the TVET Summits aim to create a loosecommunity of practitioners that foster the strengtheningof TVET through the integration of ICTs.

microsoft Imagine cup 2009Düsseldorf, Munich and Berlin, Germany, March and May2009

In 2009, UNESCO-UNEVOC supported the Germannational competition of the annual Microsoft ImagineCup. Microsoft’ s Imagine Cup is the largest worldwidecompetition for IT students in secondary and tertiaryeducation who research, brainstorm, design, and developpotential new IT solutions. Since its inception in 2002,more than 220,000 students from more than 100countries have participated. The contest spans a year,beginning with local, regional and online contests whosewinners go on to attend the global finals held in adifferent location every year. The Imagine Cup seeks topromote international cooperation and knowledgetransfer in the field of IT and involves industry partners,agencies in international cooperation and nationalgovernments. UNESCO, as part of the UNESCO-Microsoftframework agreement, has been a partner in thisinternational competition in past years.

In 2009-2012, the global theme of the Imagine Cup is “ ITin support of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs)” . In Germany, the competition focuses on fourMDGs, including education. The theme for the educationMDG is “ IT in support of education and training indeveloping countries” . In 2009, the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre was the main partner to cover thetheme of education in the German national competition.

A representative of the Centre participated in the jury attwo regional competitions in Düsseldorf (24 March 2009)and Munich (26 March 2009), as well as at the finalnationwide competition in Berlin (14 May 2009). TheUNEVOC representative was able to give the contestantsvaluable input on how to further improve their software

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Germany. © Microsoft Germany

Egypt. © ILO/M. Crozet

to even better address the challenges many developingcountries are facing. This contributed not only to thestudents’ better understanding of some of the problemsthat the world faces today, but also to the developmentof software that could contribute to more just andsustainable development.

Other organizations involved in the Imagine Cupcompetition were the World Wildlife Fund (WWF),Welthungerhilfe (a hunger relief agency) and Ärzte fürdie Dritte Welt (a physicians’ organization that works indeveloping countries).

Ict applications in tVet in the commonwealth ofIndependent StatesMinsk, Belarus, 12-13 May 2009

On 12-13 May 2009, UNESCO-UNEVOC, the UNESCOInternational Institute for Technologies in Education(IITE) and the Belarusian Republican Institute forVocational Education (RIVE) co-organized a trainingseminar on ICT Applications in Technical and VocationalEducation and Training, which was held at the TechnicalVocational College, an affiliate of RIVE, in Minsk, BelarusRepublic.

Around 30 specialists from Ministries of Education, heads ofeducational departments and directors of educationinstitutions that are in charge of national TVET policy andprogramme implementation from 10 CIS countries took partin the event. The countries represented were Armenia,Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic ofMoldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine andUzbekistan.

The seminar addressed organizational, political,pedagogical, psychological, technical and practicalaspects related to the integration of ICTs into learningprocesses in TVET. It aimed to build confidence amongUNESCO Member States regarding the usage of ICTs inTVET and demonstrated practical solutions to buildingTVET communities through online services.

Issues addressed at the seminar included ICT applicationsin TVET, digital competencies, capacity buildingapproaches in the area of ICTs in TVET, open and distancelearning, and web-based learning approaches. Theparticipants were also introduced to a training courseentitled “ ICT Application in Technical and VocationalEducation and Training” , which was developed by IITE incooperation with a group of international experts.

International Seminar on advancing tVet in georgiathrough enhancing the use of IctsTbilisi, Georgia, 7-8 September 2009

This seminar was organized by the UNESCO-UNEVOCInternational Centre in collaboration with theInformation Technologies Vocational Education andTraining Centre (ITVET, UNEVOC Centre in Georgia), withsupport of the Ministry of Education and Sciences ofGeorgia. It aimed at guiding TVET institutions in Georgiain the preparation and development of strategies toenhance the use of ICTs for active learning in TVET. The26 participants at the meeting included the GeorgianDeputy Minister of Education for TVET, representatives ofITVET, directors of TVET institutions from the differentparts of Georgia, representatives of the UNEVOC Centresof the University of Tampere, Research Centre forVocational Education (Finland) and the German FederalInstitute for Vocational Training, representatives fromInWEnt – Capacity Building International and CISCONetworking Academy, as well as a Dutch expert in thearea of ICTs in TVET and a staff member of UNESCO-UNEVOC.

Key issues addressed at the seminar included:

>> New teaching and learning techniques through theuse of ICTs;

>> New teaching and learning resources for use ininstitutional and workplace settings through the useof ICTs;

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Georgia. © UNESCO/Maja Zarini

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>> Linking curriculum, instruction and assessmentthrough the use of ICTs; and

>> Infrastructure support for ICTs in TVET.

Good and innovative practices and experiences fromvarious countries as well as from Georgia were shared,the participants were introduced to useful informationsources, and national strategies for enhancing TVETthrough the use of ICTs were initiated, as was furtherfollow up and cooperation between the GeorgianUNEVOC Centre and the German and Finnish UNEVOCCentres that were present at the seminar. The UNESCO-UNEVOC representative introduced the Centre’ s work inthe area of ICTs in TVET to the seminar participants andsupported the discussions about follow-up activitieswithin the UNEVOC Network.

challenges of tVet in arab countries – Innovationthrough e-learningAmman, Jordan, 12-13 October 2009

Around 135 experts from 21 countries (Algeria, Austria,Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Germany,Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Morocco, the Pales-tinian Territories, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UnitedArab Emirates and Yemen) participated in this conference,which was organized by InWEnt – Capacity Building Inter-national, together with the European Training Foundation(ETF), UNESCO-UNEVOC and partner organizations fromEgypt (Productivity and Vocational Training Department)

and Jordan (Vocational Training Corporation). The confer-ence addressed various issues concerning the implemen-tation of e-learning in TVET in the Arab States, includinge-didactics, open source software and teacher training. Itwas also a starting point for expanding cross-links anddeepening relationships among institutions and individ-uals active in this field in the region. A representative ofUNESCO-UNEVOC presented about knowledge sharing andcollaboration in TVET through the UNEVOC online services.

Jordan. © InWEnt - Capacity Building International

Sixth International conference on adult education(confIntea VI)Belém, Brazil, 1-4 December 2009

InWEnt – Capacity Building International, UNESCO-UNEVOC and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning(UIL) jointly organized a workshop on Financial andEconomic Crisis – Labour Market Impacts, Vulnerabilitiesand Policy Responses: Challenges for Adult Education,Skills Development and Lifelong Learning in a ChangingWorld of Work at the Sixth International Conference onAdult Education (CONFINTEA VI).

Approximately 80 education specialists from around theworld participated in the workshop, which had the overallpurpose of fostering dialogue on issues related toadult/lifelong learning and the wo