Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is an essential component of lifelong learning and skills development. It provides individuals with the necessary skills and competencies to fully participate in the workforce and to contribute to the digital and green transformation of societies and economies.
A key element in the planning of TVET and skills development is the collection, analysis and use of statistics. TVET statistics provide essential information on the inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes of TVET systems and programmes, as well as the characteristics and needs of TVET learners and graduates. Yet, the availability, quality and use of TVET statistics remains uneven across countries and regions.
Ahead of the first UNESCO Conference on Education Data and Statistics, UNESCO-UNEVOC and the UNESCO Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development organized a pre-conference engagement session titled ‘Data on TVET and skills development: Current state and options for future development’.
The session delved into how data can inform the alignment of skills development with industry needs, through information on participation in TVET, assessment of the professional skills of TVET learners, and labour market trends to ensure that TVET programmes are responsive and relevant.
Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC and moderator of the session, introduced the topic with an overview of TVET statistics in the monitoring framework of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education. The panellists included Mantas Sekmokas, Cedefop; Philipp Grollmann, TU Dortmund University; Mauro Pelucchi, Lightcast; Eduarda Castel-Branco, European Training Foundation; and Michael Ward, OECD.
During the discussion on the current state of TVET data, panellists highlighted a series of challenges, such as:
- Lack of common definitions, standards and indicators.
- Inadequate coverage, comparability and timeliness of TVET data sources.
- Limited capacity and resources for TVET data management and quality assurance.
This prompted an exchange of innovative solutions, good practices and lessons learned on the collection and use of data for the development of national TVET systems. Participants learned about new sources of data on participation in TVET, including school- and company-based training; real-time information on industry demand for skills, using online job postings; application of Artificial Intelligence to classify skills data; and assessment of the skills and competencies of TVET graduates.
The key lessons and takeaways from the session were subsequently summarized and reported to the delegates at the main conference. Opportunities to improve the collection, analysis and use of data on TVET include the following:
- Encourage and support Member States to respond to the UIS Survey of Formal Education, to improve the availability of data for SDG indicator 4.3.3.
- Improve standard setting on TVET: elaborate ISCED to better distinguish between general/academic and vocational/professional programmes in tertiary education (ISCED levels 6, 7, 8), and to better describe non-formal education programmes.
- Exploit additional data sources (including big data) and improve data availability to better capture the linkages between TVET and the labour market.
Further development of TVET systems and their alignment with just, inclusive and sustainable development will rely on timely data from a wide range of sources that can support evidence-based TVET policy and practice. With this in mind, the session provided an opportunity to explore the potential of new and alternative data sources, while examining the role of different TVET stakeholders in enhancing the quality and use of TVET statistics.
