UNESCO Instrument which Encourage an Identification of the Roles of the Government and the Social Partners in Promoting the Expansion and Diversification of Training

Revised Recommendation Concerning Technical and Vocational Education (2001)

III. Policy, planning and administration

9. 1. Although governments carry the primary responsibility for technical and vocational education, in a modern market economy technical and vocational education policy design and delivery should be achieved through a new partnership between government, employers, professional associations, industry, employees and their representatives, the local community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This partnership must create a coherent legislative framework to enable the launching of a national strategy for change. Within this strategy the government, apart from actually providing technical and vocational education, can also provide leadership and vision, facilitate, coordinate, establish quality assurance and ensure that technical and vocational education is for all by identifying and addressing community service obligations.

12. While the education authorities should have primary responsibility, the following groups of relevant stakeholders should be actively associated in policy formulation and in the planning process; corresponding structures, both national and local, taking the form of public agencies or consultative or advisory bodies, should be created to permit this:
    1. public authorities responsible for planning economic and social policy, labour and employment, and for the manufacturing and service sectors;
    2. representatives of non-governmental organizations within each occupation sector from among employers and workers as well as of the informal economy, small enterprise owners and entrepreneurs;

VI. Technical and vocational education as continuing education

47. The appropriate authorities should be encouraged to provide the basic conditions for continuing technical and vocational education, such as providing for paid educational leave and other forms of financial aid.
48. Continuing technical and vocational education should be actively encouraged through:
    1. widespread dissemination of information concerning the programmes available and ways of taking advantage of existing opportunities, including full use of the mass media and the Internet;
    2. recognition of successful completion of programmes by increased remuneration and professional advancement, with the involvement of employers and professional associations.

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