UNESCO-UNEVOC acts as a clearinghouse for promising and innovative practices in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). These practices have been selected based on their relevance to the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
, and their advancement of youth employment, access to decent work, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning opportunities.
Learn more about the three types of practices in our database
BILT Innovation and Learning Practices – initiatives that have been implemented by European TVET stakeholders
*compiled in collaboration with
BILT project partners
i-hubs Innovative Practices – initiatives based on the concept of innovation within the TVET institutional context *compiled in collaboration with i-hubs project partners
Promising Practices – initiatives sourced from TVET stakeholders worldwide that have been implemented to address specific challenges
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Self-sufficient schools: turning learning into earning and saving
In Latin America, secondary school drop-out rates are high, partly because many youth feel that the type of education they receive at school does not offer any guarantee of future employment. Recognizing the need for practical training that gives youth the skills to find employment or become self-employed, Fundación Paraguaya established the Self-Sufficient School model, providing low-income youth with opportunities to ‘learn by doing, while earning and saving’. Under this model, the schools offer the officially recognized secondary school curriculum as well as training in practical skills such as growing vegetables, raising livestock and crafting furniture. The Self-Sufficient Schools go beyond the type of training provided by conventional vocational training programmes by offering real-life marketplace contexts that enable students to come into contact with real customers. In such schools, students learn the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become entrepreneurs and they also apply what they learn in a real-life context, where they produce marketable goods and services. The income generated goes towards school operating costs, thus enabling the schools to become self-sustaining.
*Disclaimer: UNESCO-UNEVOC does not endorse any of the practices included in this database and is not responsible for their management or implementation.