Building VET systems to advance communities: beyond responsiveness

Abstract

There are five purposes that are central to vocational education and training (VET)(i.e., engaging young people, assisting them identify their preferred occupation, preparing them to practice it, ongoing development and being innovative) in the contemporary era. Yet, common across these purposes is the overall goal of VET going beyond primarily being responsive to industry needs, to also advance individuals’ capacities to remain employable, communities to be resilient and enterprises to effectively meet new challenges. Realising that advancement through those purposes needs to be understood, informed and enacted at the local level. For that to occur there needs to be educational, social and administrative infrastructure at the local level able to realise these outcomes. It is these elements that are necessary for building further VET systems now.