Attempts at Empowering Rural Communities through Vocational Skills: Some Guiding Theories

Abstract

The high unemployment rates in the rural areas call for the empowerment of both the young and old on survival skills. This will help them to participate in the informal economy for their livelihoods. Informal jobs offer valuable opportunities for young unskilled workers in terms of skill acquisition and career advancement. To be specific, they serve as a stepping stone to formal jobs, which offer better conditions in terms of pay, insurance, job security, and other amenities at work. Although the existence of a large informal sector may distort tax collection and reduce productivity, informal job opportunities may in fact be welfare enhancing for the young and unskilled workers in developing countries, because these jobs help workers gain expertise and build professional networks for improving their career prospects. Integrated Skills Outreach Programme is one TVET way of equipping rural populations with skills to fend for themselves.