Contextualization of TVET in Education

This chapter is comprised by two different sections. The first one starts by describing what is generally understood by technical vocational education and training, as an educational sub-sector, and how TVET is translated within the formal, nonformal, and informal learning processes in order to develop skills and knowledge and shape people’s attitudes. The second section focuses on what does TVET mean and imply in a global world. It starts with a broad description of the existing TVET challenges that the world is facing on the twenty-first century in different areas or domains as the human development domain, the demographic challenges, the labor market pressures and persisting gender differences in labor force participation, and the global economic crisis, vulnerability of employment, and inequality, and it finalizes giving a clear understanding about the various channels through which globalization affects labor markets and demand for skills in developed as well as in developing countries. The section concludes by describing who globalization intensifies the pressure on the TVET sector to supply the necessary skills to workers involved in globalized activities and to adapt existing skills to rapidly changing needs.