Promoting vocational education and training (VET) - qualifying young people
Resolution from the 7th World Congress
The 7th Education International (EI) World Congress meeting in Ottawa, Canada, from 21nd to 26th July 2015:
Recognises that:
1. The economic and financial crisis, far from being resolved, makes it necessary to provide all young people with quality training. Vocational education and training (VET), comprising technical vocational education and training (TVET), following ISCED 2011 which includes TVET into VET, must lead to a recognised degree issued by the public education system of each country, without restrictions on the labour market from one region to the other.
2. For this purpose, all countries must devote adequate resources to develop VET to the same extent as other educational opportunities of high level.
3. The resolution “The 6 Essential Points to Strengthen vocational education and training” (5th World Congress, 2007) is still very relevant and should be given due prominence in the public education policies of every country.
4. Modern VET systems should factor the right of young people to choose their vocational training freely. States should work to prevent early school leaving without any degree and promote the integration of all young people, regardless of their social condition, origins or gender.
5. VET should promote the inclusion of young people with disabilities by providing the necessary human and technical resources.
6. All young people with vocational degrees must be allowed to access vocational training at higher education level. VET must pave the way for lifelong learning.
7. We know that in countries which prioritised VET young people have better withstood the consequences of the economic and financial crisis, as evidenced by lower unemployment rates. We believe that VET is an important key to resolving the crisis. In order to reduce unemployment of young people, we should promote high-quality VET!
8. VET should guarantee employability for the longer term and should offer not only specific vocational training but also general fundamental knowledge and skills, and should include opportunities for apprenticeship or work-based learning under the supervision and responsibility of the school or education institution.
9. Access to new technologies should be guaranteed for all. The knowledge and skills acquired through information and communication technologies should include awareness of their benefits but also of their potential dangers.
10. High-quality VET requires specific, highly-qualified teachers and/or trainers. They are entitled to decent salaries and good working conditions to perform to the best of their abilities.
11. VET should promote education for sustainable development of the globalised economy.
12. Young people in VET should also be exposed to other living and working environments. To that end, international exchange programmes should be further developed within VET.
