Introduction

Youth transition from school to work, and from childhood to adulthood, is a major challenge for both families and education authorities. Securing the dividends from educational progress and demographic changes requires effective education and training strategies as well as consistent cross-sector policies.

The UN defines ‘youth’ as between the ages of 15 and 24, corresponding to the complex period of transition from school to work and from childhood to adulthood. Because of education expansion, the transition from school to work is taking place later as young people study for longer. Yet, despite significant progress in school participation and training, youth unemployment remains a major problem. Young people still face serious difficulties in integrating with the labour market, even in those countries where the numbers of young people have fallen due to demographic change. The transition from school to work is therefore an important and active area for public policy, and a fertile research field for investigating social and educational change. To improve youth access to employment, many developing countries are reforming their provision of technical and vocational education. Policies are focusing on closer links between labour market supply and demand, and transferring more responsibility to the private sector.

Aim and objectives. The aim of the chapter is to identify the importance and influence of vocational education in Youth Work and as stabilized objectives are the following:

• To make an introduction in vocational education;
• To offer an understanding in vocational training and issues regarding youth unemployment;
• To gain knowledge about training and skills development within vocational education in Youth Work.

  As societies become more knowledge intensive, they are realizing that a vast array of skills is acquired outside formal schooling in the non-formal and informal settings of the household, the workplace and broader social interaction. Many young people who do not go to school or who leave early, often to supplement family incomes, go on to acquire competence through work experience by learning on the job. While education and training in formal education institutions remain the backbone of skills supply, countries are exploring ways of promoting non-formal and informal education to expand their human capital endowment.

Programmes for assessment, certification and recognition of non-formal and informal learning have become important tools in this search in both developed and developing countries.

Potentially, they can have many benefits. For the individual, recognition can bring the satisfaction of achieving personal development goals, better earnings or greater job mobility, and can open doors to further learning. For the labour market and society as a whole, these incentives for the individual can improve skills supply, productivity, labour market matching, social equity, and civic participation.

1. What is vocational education and why is it important?

Vocational Education refers to a system or course of study which prepares individuals for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities. Vocational Education is traditionally non-academic in nature and is totally related to specific trade, occupation or vocation. Because it is Vocation based, it is called Vocational Education. 

VET is a key element of lifelong learning systems equipping people with knowledge, know-how, skills and/or competences required in particular occupations or more broadly on the labour market. It responds to the needs of the economy, but also provides learners with skills for personal development and active citizenship. VET contributes to enterprise performance, competitiveness, research and innovation and is central to employment and social policy.

Vocational education also referred to:

• As career education or technical education prepares people to work in various fields of trade, craft, and technician;
• A graduate, under-graduate or a metric pass person can pursue for vocational education;
• It uses various forms of formal, non-formal and informal learning. Also, it is important for social equality, inclusion and sustainable development.

Until the end of 20th century, the aim of Vocational Education was to focus on specific trades such as automobile mechanic or welder and was therefore associated with the activities of lower social classes. Because of this, it attracted a level of stigma. Vocational Education, in fact, is closely related to the age-old apprenticeship system of learning. Because of the development of economies worldwide, the labour market became more specialized and the demand for higher levels of skill both in government and business sector started increasing. This lead to the further development of Vocational Education through publicly funded training organizations and subsidized apprenticeship or traineeship initiatives for businesses. 

At the post-secondary level, Vocational Education is typically provided by an institute of technology, or by a local community college. Vocational Education has also diversified  over 20th century. Demand for Vocational Professionals is required more than ever in various industries such as retail, tourism, information technology, funeral services and cosmetics, as well as in the traditional crafts and cottage industries.  

The importance of Vocational Education refers to its benefits:

• Helps people in the better performance of their jobs as they acquire a great learning experience. Working professionals get chance to hone their skills while making money;
• Gets employees ready for the workplace which comes in handy while performing various tasks;
• The students are specialized and therefore they have more chances of employment as compared to other;
• Opens new door, when a student thinks about the attending college or not;
• It makes an individual a responsible and independent whereas those who study regular courses lack in this sphere;
• The careers of one’s own choice is one of the major benefits of this education;
• Is a great asset to the economy, because the government does not need to import foreign technicians on higher wages;
• Teaches students the importance of manual work;
• Creates employment opportunities in foreign countries;
• Attracts foreign investment and foreign exchange
• Provides an opportunity to learn a skill or trade;
• Provides stable jobs as these are the jobs whose demand is never fulfilled.

1. Vocational training and youth unemployment

Youth unemployment has increased in many industrialized countries following the recent global recession. However, this reflects not only the cyclical shock, but also the crucial role of institutions in structuring the transition from school to work. Vocational training, in particular in a dual form combining vocational schooling and structured learning on-the-job, is often considered to be one of the most important policy solutions in combating youth unemployment. The evidence available supports this perception, but the institutional requirements of a successful training system also have to be taken into account from a policy perspective.

Explanation of youth unemployment consists from the following: 

1. The labor market situation of young people is influenced by demographic factors, in particular cohort size and labor demand in the economy. Youth integration into work is heavily influenced by institutional factors which can mitigate or aggravate obstacles of transition.   

2. The transition from school to work is structured in different ways across countries and world regions. Training, but also active labor market policies as well as regulatory policies such as minimum wages and employment protection are highly relevant institutional factors.   

3.   Regulatory policies influence the availability of flexible entry jobs, but a strong divide between flexible parts of the labor market and permanent jobs or between informal and formal work creates additional barriers to mobility.

As well as the contribution of general education and vocational training refers to the following aspects:

1. In general, better educated young workers have better access to gainful employment and better jobs. Vocational education and training add to general education and bring young people closer to the labor market.  
2. Rigorous evaluation of training schemes is less widespread than the evaluation of active labor market policy programs.   
3. Comparing vocational schooling and dual apprenticeship models, a dual system tends to be associated with a smoother transition from school to work and low youth unemployment.   
4. There is some evidence that complementary active labor market policy schemes addressing the disadvantaged youth can improve their situation on the labor market if these measures are designed and implemented effectively. 

Youth unemployment and the role of training:

• Youth tends to be affected disproportionally from difficult demographic and economic conditions hampering access to the labor market and, in particular, to stable and well-paid jobs.  Public policies make a difference. Well-designed pathways from school to work can help young people to make a successful transition and prevent societal and individual damages from spells of unemployment or exclusion at a young age.   
• Flexible or informal entry jobs constitute a first step into the world of work. But they can only be considered good jobs if they create options for mobility to better paid and more stable jobs.  This implies that institutional reforms need to overcome deeply segmented labor markets with high obstacles for transition from temporary to permanent jobs. 
• Education and training systems are a major factor structuring the pathway from school to work. General education at the primary and secondary level provides the necessary foundation, but available evidence shows that vocational training, in particular in a dual fashion, is able to establish an early link with employers, acquire skills relevant in the labor market and to move to skilled permanent positions later on.
• Comparing vocational schooling on the one hand and dual apprenticeship systems on the other, the evidence suggests that a smooth and timely transition from school to work without encountering major breaks can best be achieved via dual vocational training.   
• Compared to fixed-term contracts without training, apprenticeships are better temporary contracts as they include systematic training and favorable prospects for subsequent job promotion, wages and employment stability.   
• To be operational, vocational training needs to provide the right balance between general skills, occupation-specific skills and learning on the job so that the human capital acquired in these schemes is neither too general nor too specific and narrow.
• Furthermore, certification of occupation-specific skills makes qualifications more transferable and can therefore enhance mobility between employers in a given field Analysis of youth labor markets and the role of vocational training distinguishes different clusters of countries which, more or less, share a certain profile of economic development, performance regarding youth integration into work and core labor market institutions, in particular the dominant type of training received by young people.   
• In Germany and many of its neighboring countries dual vocational training is the dominant pathway from school to work and provides young people with a relatively smooth transition in the labor market. This model relies on strong social partnership and government support as well as active participation of employers. However, major efforts have to be undertaken to help integrate young people unable to enter the vocational training system via active labor market policy schemes, involving preparatory training schemes. In Anglo-Saxon countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States there is a clear divide between general and vocational schooling on the one hand and learning on- the-job on the other hand. Dual vocational training exists in some sectors, but is to implement at a larger scale given the lack of social partner structures. In general, this model makes young people quite vulnerable in an otherwise flexible labor market setting. To compensate for some of these deficits and contain youth non-employment become more important over time.
• In the transition countries in Central and Eastern Europe, dual vocational training dating from the times of the planned economy collapsed. Nowadays mostly school-based vocational education dominates. Vocational training is still more relevant than in many other regions, but it lacks modernization and adaptation to cover growing sectors. This could only be done by involving employers. In general, youths are in a difficult situation in these countries as youth unemployment is considerable and labor markets are segmented, with informal employment on the increase.

1. Training and skills development

Quality and relevant vocational education and training, or VET, can provide people, and especially youth, with the knowledge, skills and competencies required for the jobs of today or tomorrow. The provision of relevant job skills can therefore be a robust means of empowering people to seize employment opportunities or equip them for self-employment. Better skills training can help support decent work, more equitable and inclusive growth and be the bridge between education and the labour market, supporting the transition from youth into adulthood. The world’s population is younger than ever, with 1.2 billion people aged 16-24. 

Therefore, providing pathways into the world of work for young people is one of the greatest development challenges of our era.

Recognizing the pivotal role of skills training, especially for young people, to increase their chances for employment, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has set a number of ambitious targets under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on quality education and SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth.

SDG 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

SDG 8 – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

In many countries, VET is undervalued and the integration of effective VET strategies into wider employment policies is still a work in progress. The EU is currently supporting the reform of VET systems in many partner countries worldwide, providing knowledge, technical capacity and financial support. As VET does not create employment, the close-involvement of the private sector is necessary to ensure that training is in line with labour market needs and opportunities. The best VET model and type of skills training will depend on the country context. Special attention should also be paid to the specific needs of girls and women and vulnerable groups.

In order to support this approach, a new VET Toolbox, offered jointly with Member States, delivers, rapidly and on-demand, high quality expertise and capacity building to public and private stakeholders with a view to enhance labour market intelligence, enhance the involvement of the private sector in VET as well as to foster inclusion of women and of vulnerable groups in VET programmes.

VET Toolbox promotes demand driven and inclusive vocational education and training

The VET Toolbox works with partner countries to strengthen their capacity to implement VET and labour market reforms, enhancing labour market relevance and employability for all by:

• Applying evidence–based VET and labour market programming;
• Operationalizing private sector involvement in VET and labour market activities, and;
• Enhancing the inclusion of vulnerable groups in VET and formal and informal labour market activities.

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