Vocational Education & Training
:: Introduction ::
As stated in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, every one has the right to education and “technical and professional education shall be made generally available”. Education International considers that all individuals have the right to equal access to education at all levels and at any age without discrimination and without financial ability to pay deterrmining the ability to pursue. EI believes that promoting greater access to vocational education and training (VET)
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is particularly important because of the crucial role it plays in providing opportunities for people from all backgrounds, including those who have been marginalised in the labour market.
EI recognizes that vocational education and training is particularly vulnerable to emerging commercial pressures worldwide. Once the primary responsibility of public institutions in many countries, the provision of vocational education and training now straddles the public, private and for-profit sectors. Economic globalization, trade liberalization, new information and communication technologies, labour market deregulation, and the growth in cross-border provision have intensified the commercialization of vocational education at both the national and international levels. Taken together, these developments threaten to undermine quality, accessibility, equity, and the status and employment rights of staff.
EI promotes the advancement of vocational education and training in particular through the implementation of ILO and UNESCO conventions and recommendations. They are:
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Alternative terms used internationally include "technical and vocational education and training" (TVET), "vocational and technical education and training" (VTET), "technical and vocational education" (TVE), "vocational and technical education" (VTE), and "further education and training" (FET).