Participation in formal technical and vocational education and training programmes worldwide: an initial statistical study

What statistical data currently exist on formal technical and vocational education (TVET) in the world? What are the potential benefits of statistically analysing these data? How can TVET data collection and analysis be improved?

This study addresses these three questions. Through an initial survey of the available data, it provides statistical analysis of enrolments in formal TVET programmes worldwide, and points to gaps in available data.

The report:

• introduces the main sources of data and organisations involved in its collection and analysis
• identifies global trends in TVET, including the rapid expansion of upper secondary TVET, the reform of apprenticeships, and measures to improve people's views about TVET
• considers trends and issues in TVET in sub-Saharan Africa, based on a review of recent literature and available data, examining concerns regarding quality, cost, relevance to the labour market and the needs of the informal sector
• provides a statistical overview of formal TVET enrolments internationally, and identifies some of the emerging regional patterns

Finally, the study explores an alternative measure of enrolments in TVET at the secondary and post-secondary levels, using Vocational Gross Enrolment Ratios (VGER). The study highlights the limitations of VGERs and argues that they should be complemented by another measure, the “Percentage of Technical/ Vocational Enrolment”. This is plotted against GDP per capita and against the Gross Enrolment Ratio in upper secondary education to test hypotheses concerning the relationship between the two. Similarly, the Percentage of Technical/Vocational Enrolment is plotted against the respective Gender Parity Indices to provide a visual representation of a possible association. In this case, the relationship between gender and TVET is shown to be complex and likely to vary considerably across regions and countries.