Vocational Education And Training In Sub Saharan Africa

For developing countries, vocational training is a vital component of the drive to enhance productivity, stimulate economic competitiveness, and lift people out of poverty. However, training provision in many countries is underfinanced and fragmented, and traditional state-funded training programs are proving inadequate to the task. Financing Vocational Training in Sub-Saharan Africa emphasizes the central role that financing strategies should play in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of training systems as a whole, through incentives, greater competition, and the integration of private and public provision. This book describes the emerging consensus about best practice in the financing of training, drawing on experience in Latin America and Asia, and testing this consensus against findings from Sub-Saharan Africa. It sets out the case for financing interventions by governments and scrutinizes the role, and effectiveness, of national training agencies, payroll levies, and alternative transfer mechanisms for institutional funding. This discussion draws on lessons from the experience of Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The book will be of particular interest to policymakers and practitioners of vocational training in developing countries, to development policy analysts, and to students and scholars of education and training systems worldwide.

The private provision trend in technical and vocational education (TVE) in sub-Saharan Africa occurred as the deterioration of state-run TVE systems in the region created a market niche for private providers. While advocates of deregulation believe the adoption of market principles in TVE will lead to greater efficiency and effectiveness, private providers have emerged in an uncoordinated and unmonitored fashion. A literature review and case studies of two countries Senegal and Mali led to some of the following key findings: (1) in some countries the majority of TVE students are enrolled in private institutions; (2) a large number of private TVE institutions operate illegally; (3) private provision concentrates on the service and commercial trades; and (4) the private sector may operate with lower costs and be more responsive to the labor market, but they do not provide much job-related training or include work-experience programs. Some of the policy issues are as follows: (1) simplifying procedures for establishing private TVE institutions facilitates their growth but is not sufficient to prevent the growth of an illegal sector; (2) the lack of regulation for private TVE institutions raises complex issues regarding the mechanisms required to ensure quality and protect consumers against abuses; and (3) for private TVE to succeed, students and the programs themselves must receive some public funding and develop relationships with industry. (Includes 84 references.) (MO).

This publication reviews recent developments within technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as future challenges in skills development in the region. Based upon 70 case studies covering 20 countries, it provides a good starting point for the development of country policies and programmes, of relevance to other African regions as well as countries in other regions facing similar challenges. Issues discussed include: the labour market context, reform of public training programmes, regulation of non-government training institutions, enterprise-based training, building skills for the informal economy, balancing cost-effectiveness with growth and equity, and financing.

Differences in historical, political, cultural, and economic contexts in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) account for wide variations in structures, operating conditions, and outcomes in technical and vocational education (TVE). This diversity is associated with glaring disparities, so in examining policy trends and the reconstruction of training systems particular attention is focused on innovations in an effort to identify promising initiatives likely to contribute to the establishment of consistent TVE systems, closely linked with the world of work and involving labor market stakeholders. Some common emerging trends in TVE include the following: (1) a shift in the policy focus from inputs to outputs; (2) the use of new financing and certification mechanisms; (3) the involvement of social partners in governance; greater autonomy for institutions; (4) the promotion of private providers and company-based training; and (5) an increasing interest in the informal sector and skills development for poverty reduction. Issues addressed include these: (1) an overview of TVE systems in 10 SSA countries; (2) reviewing various models currently in place; (3) documenting relationships between African TVE systems and policies and donor intervention and traditions in TVE; (4) identifying reasons why certain reforms are facing implementation difficulties; analyzing specific innovations; (5) drawing lessons on the implementation of the reform agenda and its impact on TVE systems; and (6) discussing possible directions for future donor support. (Includes 167 references.) (MO).

This book analyses the accessibility and success of vocational training programmes for unemployed and disadvantaged youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Examining the implementation of vocational education and training programmes, the author assesses various internal and external enabling factors that can help foster youth employment. In doing so, the author presents a solid base for robust and evidence-informed practice and policy making for vocational training programmes, analysing such themes as employability skills, the labour market, and work-integrated learning. It also emphasises the importance of stakeholders taking into account the enabling and disabling environments found in a given local, regional or national context. It will be of interest to scholars of vocational training programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, as well as of youth poverty and unemployment.