
Vocational education and training can make a decisive contribution to poverty reduction. The aim is to provide people with skills they need to take part in economic life, open up new prospects and access to appropriately paid work.
Vocational education and training can make a decisive contribution to poverty reduction. The aim is to provide people with skills they need to take part in economic life, open up new prospects and access to appropriately paid work.
The SDC is committed to the development of vocational education and training opportunities that are accessible to all and enable lifelong learning. Its activities are aimed at the poorest and most socially vulnerable sections of the population, young people and women as well as rural populations. In this context, it endeavours to establish an efficient and flexible education system that addresses local requirements. The SDC has two priority areas:
Vocational training, together with basic education, is one of the main preconditions for economic and social development. In West Africa, a third of young people has received no education or training, and is unemployed. The causes are many, two of which are poor literacy skills and training not adapted to labour market requirements. When training exists, it is limited to urban areas. Economic development requires training and further education opportunities for people of all ages, and the development of training options accessible to all social groups and to people of all levels of knowledge.
The poorest and most socially vulnerable segments of population are often excluded from economic life because they lack the necessary qualifications. Training offers designed for these young people and adults help them take control of their lives. This vocational training also needs to address market needs, including the market not regulated by the state. Persons living in rural regions and those who are interested in self-employment should have access to the training they need. It is also important to ensure a good level of basic education, which vocational training can build on, and consolidate where necessary. Finally, gateways between vocational and academic education and training must be put in place.
SDC networks: vocational training
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