Our Work

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training is UNESCO’s only specialized centre for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and an integral component of UNESCO’s international programme on TVET. Through its capacity development programmes, collaborative projects and global UNEVOC Network, UNESCO-UNEVOC advocates for quality TVET that is accessible for all.

Promoting learning for the world of work

UNESCO-UNEVOC is committed to supporting UNESCO Member States in ensuring access to quality skills development by:

• Facilitating knowledge exchange, networking and collaboration between global TVET stakeholders through its platforms;
• Developing quality TVET programmes that enable gainful youth employment, entrepreneurship, lifelong learning and respond to the dynamic skill demands; and
• Promoting broad-based skills development opportunities that are equitable and accessible by all segments of the society, globally.

All of our work is guided by our current Medium Term Strategy (further information below). You can find out more about our key programmes and projects by clicking on the ‘Skills for Work and Life’ tab.

We further promote information exchange and peer-learning through our TVET-related research, publications and various online communities, including the TVeT Forum and the UNEVOC Network Portal.

UNESCO-UNEVOC’s Strategy for TVET

The Education 2030 Agenda calls on Member States to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, with the aim of overcoming challenges posed by rapid technological developments, sustained high levels of youth unemployment, demographic changes and a growing demand for green skills.

In an effort to support governments and institutions in overcoming these challenges and under the overarching vision contained in the UNESCO Strategy for TVET (2016–2021), UNESCO-UNEVOC released its Medium Term Strategy II (MTS-II) for the period 2018-2020. The Strategy focuses on strengthening TVET capacities and cooperation in Member States to enable quality education in a lifelong learning perspective and to ensure a better response from education and training to combat climate change and ensure adaptation to its impacts.

MTS-II Thematic Priorities

MTS-II Programmatic Interventions

The strategy has two overarching objectives. The first objective is to address the capacity needs of TVET leaders and managers to transform TVET. The strengthened capacities will help them to adapt their institutional strategies to the changing expectations of TVET and address multiple SDGs. Secondly, the strategic plan will effectively strengthen collaboration, knowledge exchange and peer learning. Together, these developments will support decision-making to help institutionalize change. In the process, UNESCO-UNEVOC will create mechanisms to form TVET learning communities and develop knowledge-based resources as drivers of innovations and stimulus for mutual cooperation in TVET.

UNESCO’s Strategy for TVET (2016-2021)

UNESCO’s Strategy for TVET 2016-2021 was officially launched on World Youth Skills Day in Bonn on 15 July 2016. The Strategy takes into account the Education 2030 Framework for Action (FAA) for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 which is aimed at mobilizing all countries and partners around SDG4 and its targets, and proposes ways of implementing, coordinating, financing and monitoring SDG4.

The Strategy supports the efforts of UNESCO Member States to enhance the relevance of their TVET systems to equip all youth and adults with the skills required for employment, decent work, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning, and to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a whole.

It also proposes indicative strategies which countries may wish to draw upon in developing contextualized plans, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development, and respecting national policies and priorities.

3 Pillars of Priority Areas

Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Quality Education

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in New York in September 2015, seek to realize inclusive and equitable economic, social and environmental sustainable development. The agenda contains 17 goals including a global education goal (SDG 4). SDG 4 is to 'ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and has seven targets and three means of implementation. Find out more about UNESCO's work on SDG 4 here.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

TVET Targets in SDG4

Our Network

The UNEVOC Network is UNESCO’s global network for institutions specialized in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The Network is comprised of more than 250 UNEVOC Centres in 166 Member States across 5 regions:

• Africa
• Arab States
• Asia and the Pacific
• Europe, CIS and North America
• Latin America and the Caribbean.

Coordinated by UNESCO-UNEVOC, the Network provides a platform for exchange, cooperation and mutual assistance for its members by linking and fostering interaction and learning among diverse TVET institutions and stakeholders around the world. We at the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre undertake our activities through this knowledge-rich and extensive community.