Ensuring skills for the future and the transition to work

Educational planning for relevant and adaptable skills to support the transition to work and for social integration is critical in a world where over 10 million young people enter the labor force annually.

Keep reading to learn more about:   IIEP's approach    Examples of our work

In flexible and adaptable education systems, young people can move seamlessly through education systems, training, and employment. Providing learners with opportunities to access, progress, and also re-enter higher education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes, gives young people and returning learners more relevant choices and new opportunities for employment and social integration. This is especially important for marginalized or displaced learners such as refugees reentering a new education system. 

Faced with ever-changing labor markets and increasing demand for access, many African countries are working to renovate and strengthen their technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems. IIEP’s Office for Africa is supporting TVET reforms to ensure that young people are trained and equipped with the skills required for the future.

A gender lens is also being applied with the initiative "Harnessing education, training, and skills development to unlock women's labor market integration in sub-Saharan Africa" to develop evidence-based policies for the effective integration of women into the labor market through education, training, and skills development. 

Building on its foundational research on flexible learning pathways, IIEP is also exploring innovative types of post-secondary education, such as micro-credentials with a view to supporting countries in establishing a policy framework. 

By 2030, the youth population will grow by 78 million. Education and training systems must keep up and evolve with a changing global economy by establishing new pathways for greater equity, compatibility, and employability. 

Our approach

Our integrated capacity development offer for ministries of education and their partners includes: 

• Technical support for national and regional TVET stakeholders in the development, implementation and monitoring of vocational education and training plans and reforms in Latin America and Africa, such as one on the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education (STEM) in Nigeria. 
• Training on TVET management for Latin America and Africa, the greening of TVET, and an online course on designing and developing effective internal and external quality assurance for higher education. 
• Research and development on TVET in Latin America, flexible learning pathways in higher education, quality assurance, refugees’ access to higher education in their host countries, management of university-enterprise partnerships, and policy frameworks for micro-credentials, and education and skills for women's integration into the labour market.

IIEP identifies options for decision-making for UNESCO Member States and follows up on policy implementation and processes to ensure that the inclusion and equity agenda translates into concrete achievements.

Explore more

Flexible learning pathways		TVET in Africa		Case for investment in Africa