Skills on the Move: Linking Labor Mobility and Vocational Training
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is often touted as an important tool in low- and middle-income countries struggling with high levels of unemployment and large skills gaps. As a result, over the last 10 years, donors have invested billions of dollars in it. IREX, and our partner CGD, have conducted research and released three papers that explore the intersection between labor mobility and TVET.
Our proposal is simple. If donors supported some trainees to move to higher-income countries, it would improve TVET outcomes and quality; support employers at home and abroad by aligning training content and quality with employer needs; and reduce poverty by allowing trainees to access higher incomes and opportunities.
What's inside?
Our research outlines why donors should link labor mobility and TVET investments; how they can do so in practice; and where there are “investment-ready” TVET providers ready to take advantage of these opportunities.
The first paper in our series explores the scope of donor investment in TVET.
The second paper argues that donors should link their TVET investments with labor mobility opportunities, supporting some trainees to move to higher-income countries. Doing so could:
- Increase the quality of TVET programs;
- Increase placement rates and income gains;
- Increase investment in TVET;
- Improve TVET revenues; and
- Increase the attractiveness of TVET, especially for disadvantaged groups.
The third paper identifies nine high-performing, investment-ready, TVET providers in five African countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Senegal, which are supporting green skills development.