Learning for Life, Work and the Future Initial ... - Unesco-Unevoc

Page 58 Participants’ Papers Learning for Life, Work and the Future
constant skills enhancement is necessary for those
wishing to succeed and remain marketable.
2. Innovative Use of Facilities and Equipment
The enormous growth in part-time training shows that
people are becoming aware that in order to increase
their marketability they have to augment their skills in
line with current job requirements and future trends.
Cumulative experience of recent years suggests that
many of the development strategies pursued by
developing countries have failed to produce the kind of
results that were hoped for by planners and policy
makers. In particular, mounting unemployment among
young people has emerged as one of the most
intractable problems at a time when virtually all
countries are striving to expand their education
systems: reorientation of schooling to integrate and
give emphasis to technical and vocational education
may well be justified, but is unlikely to lead directly to
the creation of new jobs.
2.1 Cost-effective solutions for design, construction
and use of facilities
Successful individuals possess certain characteristics
that distinguish them from the rest of the crowd.
Successful individuals are goal-orientated; they have a
clear concept of what they want and how to get it; they
are self-motivated and can work independently with
little or no supervision; they can adapt to new
situations, seeing change as an opportunity instead of a
threat; they are willing to learn and thrive on
development.
Securing an effective national response to the problems
of organizing TVET is often difficult because of the
involvement of a multiplicity of agencies (government
ministries, donor communities, churches and NGOs,
etc). Economists and human resource planners, private
sector employers, representatives from the public
service and officials from other ministries are just as
likely to be involved as educational policy makers and
planners. In addition, national ideologies, historical
antecedents, social, economic and cultural factors are
also powerful variables in the different approaches to
TVET planning and provision.
A review of the resource inputs over the period (1991
to 2000) portrays a rather gloomy picture of programme
performance.
To be effective, policies for educational reform aimed
at minimising unemployment and improving links
between work and school must be considered in
conjunction with policies for additional employment
opportunities and for modifying current labour market
practices. In many respects, issues affecting the
planning of TVET cannot easily be separated from
those affecting planning of education as a whole,
especially with regard to the significance that needs to
be attached to the clarification of aims and purposes.
3. Range and Flexibility of Programmes to Suit All
Target Groups
The programmes must be “sold” to the community as
being worthwhile, not second-rate, simply because
they are delivered in a non-traditional way.
Three characteristics distinguish TVET from other
forms of educational provision. Firstly, most forms of
TVET are assumed to have strong associations with the
labour market and with life after school: though it may
not lead directly to economic growth, it is widely
regarded as playing a key role in easing the transition
from school to work and enabling young people to
acquire employment-related skills. Secondly, the
modern sector depends more and more on knowledge
and understanding derived from developments in
science and technology, which has made it essential for
elements of applied science, craft practice, and technology
to form part of general education, apart from
the need to encourage educational experiences relating
more specifically to the world of work. Finally, from
the planning point of view, there are questions about
when, where and how technical subjects and vocational
skills should be taught.
4. How the Relevance of Programmes to the Local
Economy is Ensured
Providers must ensure that TVET learning materials
are appropriate to the target groups, and that the skills
and competencies learned are those required by
occupational groups and appreciated by employers.
The courses must have an accreditation that is
acceptable by both enterprises and other educational
institutions.
Without underestimating the importance of seeking
policies, criteria, techniques and procedures to enable
administrators of education systems to carry out their
tasks more effectively, I believe that the most acute
problem arises from confusion about the nature,
purpose and relevance of education. TVET is characterised
by features that pose problems for policymakers
and educational planners, in terms of locating
provision within both appropriate objectives and
appropriate structures, overcoming constraints associated
with high recurrent and capital costs, and
nurturing effective management practices.
5. Conclusion
The Government and people of Lesotho recognise the
enormity of the task of addressing competently the
challenges of access, quality, relevance and capacity
building in education. There is adequate appreciation
of the necessity to work in concert and collaboratively
with the world community to address these challenges.