VET TOOLBOX

Education and vocational training play a crucial role in the promotion of decent work and inclusive economic growth. These programmes are developed for secondary and higher education or for work-based training, and provide the knowledge, qualifications and skills that are essential for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

However, there are several challenges facing technical and vocational education and training (TVET): in many countries, the needs are underestimated and the programmes are unsuitable, due to the lack of private sector involvement and the lack of information for young people and labour market training centres. In addition, disadvantaged groups often experience difficulty in gaining access to this training. This is especially the case for young people, women, people living in rural areas, and people with disabilities.

To address these issues, five European cooperation agencies have joined forces to implement the VET Toolbox project, which aims to improve the effectiveness of technical and vocational education and training systems by aligning them with private sector opportunities. The project also aims to turn investments into drivers for inclusive economic growth, social development, and the creation of decent jobs.

The first phase of the project was implemented between 2017 and 2022. It helped 41 African, Asian and Latin American countries improve the effectiveness of education and vocational training reforms.

Expertise France is working on the identification of investment opportunities and high-potential sectors in Côte d’Ivoire and the Congo. The objective is to help companies and vocational training operators better match the demand and supply of skills. This involves:

• Helping to establish public-private partnerships (PPPs) in vocational training
• Helping partner vocational training centres adapt the programmes
• Promoting workplace learning systems
• Identifying labour requirements
• Assisting with the development of labour market information systems

The activities implemented through the VET TOOLBOX project are required to respect a number of values:

• They are opportunity-driven in terms of jobs and begin by identifying job opportunities shaped by investments and market trends

• They aim to increase employability and job insertion, with a real impact on the employment of the local population

• They focus on issues of inclusion, with special attention to people at risk of exclusion and the gender balance

• They take account of the issues of decent work and social protection and are deployed respecting human rights and fundamental labour rights

• They are based on the needs and expertise of all the stakeholders and use synergies of cooperation to enhance outcomes

To find out more, consult the project website: https://vettoolbox.eu/