UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme

What is the UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme?

"Leadership is about successfully managing change"

Disruptive technologies, digitalization, ever-faster innovation cycles, global environmental challenges and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic showcase a world in transition. These economic, technological, and social events have led to an evolution and diversification of the skills required in society and the workplace.

The speed of this transition has left TVET systems and institutions struggling to initiate change processes needed for countries to stay connected to global developments, for economies to become or stay competitive, and for societies to remain inclusive. Since the application of these processes is driven by both national and local leaders, we should support these actors as they respond to their TVET institutions’ future needs in a rapidly changing world.

The UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme aims to build the capacity of TVET professionals from around the world, supporting them to become effective agents of change in their institutions and beyond.

The 2021 Programme

Technological developments and digitalization have significantly affected the labour market, job profiles, and the delivery of TVET programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has sped up the process of digitalization, requiring workers to learn new skills and further adapt to ongoing technological changes or risk falling behind to labour market demands.

The pandemic has also resulted in a major shift towards distance learning and building digital capacities, yet, many countries have struggled to implement online learning programmes. The pandemic has therefore exposed both existing vulnerabilities and highlighted the importance of strengthening TVET institutions to meet the demands of the digital transformation.

While digitalization clearly has its disruptive qualities, it can also provide opportunities for TVET. For example, analysis in the recent joint report from ILO and UNESCO’s The Digitization of TVET and Skills Systems (2020), indicates that digital innovation has created new capacity in the workplace and society.

The report reviewed this process of digitization of TVET from two angles: digital adaptation and digital acceleration related to the future of work and digital innovation in teaching and learning.

The 2021 Leadership Programme, Skills for the digital transformation: How TVET institutions can respond to future demands, will look to cover these very considerations and challenges. By the end, participants will be better prepared to initiate change processes related to digital transformations in their institutions.

The programme will explore:

• Impact of the digital transformation on labour markets. How are TVET systems responding to future demands?
• Skills for the digital era. What are the digital skills required today and into the future?
• Strengthening TVET institutions. How can institutions be strengthened and supported to meet the demands of the digital transformation?

Format

Where will it take place?

The 2021 programme will be offered online and will be conducted in English. It will feature a series of webinars, covering various elements related to the digitization of TVET including latest trends, contemporary strategies, sharing of case studies and planning for the future. Participants will engage in group work, assignments, and networking sessions on the following topics:

Trends

Understand the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market, and how TVET systems need to transform to respond

Case studies

Learn from examples how institutions have adapted their activities to respond to the changing context

Strategies

Learn how to develop strategies to support TVET institutions to respond to future demands

Future planning

Develop ideas to transform TVET institutions

Your benefits

Participating in the UNESCO-UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme means that you become a member of a growing global network of leaders who have been chosen to take part in this unique programme.

Benefits for Leaders who complete the programme include:

• Being informed about some of the most up to date trends and strategies in TVET
• Better prepared to become an agent of change in a rapidly changing world
• Expanding professional networks and exchange experiences

Applications

The 2021 application has now closed and the selection process ongoing. The applicants will be informed of the outcome of the application process. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to provide individual feedback to applicants not selected.

If you have any questions, please contact unevoc.leadership(at)unesco.org

Past programmes

The TVET Leadership Programme is one of UNESCO-UNEVOC’s flagship activities. Since first launched in 2016, the Programme has been organized at global and regional levels and 204 TVET leaders from 100 countries have benefited from the programme so far.

Acknowledgments