Somaliland TVET Policy

The strategic importance of TVET for economic and social development

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is central to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Goals including no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, health, water, and energy. TVET developments in the next decade are expected to play a significant role in improving economic, social, and environmental outcomes, locally and globally. TVET supports people to develop the skills they need for employment, decent work, and for entrepreneurship. It promotes equitable, inclusive, and sustainable growth of industry and business. It increases youth employability, enhances social well-being, and promotes stability and peace by empowering people to work and create jobs for others. It supports transitions to green economies and sustainable development.

Economic development is also dependent on whether a country/society is able to successfully manage emerging changes such as climate change, disruptive technologies, management of information, public health crises, global connectivity, and demographic shifts. To deal with these issues we need young people to engage, to develop useful specialist and transferable skills, and to learn safe and sustainable practices for the modern workplaces of the next decade. A well-functioning, high-quality TVET system has the potential to influence work practices in the short and long term by emphasizing occupational and professional standards, developing skills and knowledge for sustainable work practices, and introducing new technologies.

Lack of skills in the workforce is a major constraint on economic activity in many parts of the world. It can lead also to severe social problems including poor nutrition, poor health, migration, drugs, crime, and terrorism.

It is not only youth and unemployed people who need TVET to become productive members of society. The world of work is evolving rapidly, and all adults need to keep on upgrading their skills throughout life, to keep up with the changing profile of the job market, and to remain in relevant employment.