Technical and vocational education and training in small and medium-sized enterprises : A critical overview

The aim of this chapter is to provide a critical overview of relevant aspects related to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the first section, the authors conceptualize the key terms associated with TVET in SMEs. The second section provides an insight into TVET prevalence, participation rates, and investment in the SME sector of various countries. The third section of the chapter addresses issues and challenges that are critical to TVET in SMEs, such as formal versus informal training, generalist versus specialist training, and supporting finance sources in industrially developed and developing economies, as well as countries in transition. The chapter concludes by exploring the future of TVET in an SME context, as impacted by recent trends in globalization, technological developments, robotization, social media, and the increasing personalization of learning.