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One of a series of studies on vocational education and training (VET), this review assesses VET in Thailand and provides policy recommendations. VET has the potential to provide relevant education and training opportunities to young people and adults in Thailand, especially as the demand for technical skills is high. This can be achieved by building on the strengths of the system, including a strong postsecondary vocational system and a small but dynamic dual system. However, it remains an unattractive option for many students in Thailand, because of a poor image among students and parents, quality issues, a hard-to-navigate system and limited progression pathways. Additional efforts are therefore needed to align the mix of provision with the needs of the Thai labour market. This review provides recommendations on how to improve access to programmes, reduce inequalities in access to high-quality institutions and programmes, make better use of skills intelligence to inform education and training policies, and engage employers in the design and delivery of vocational education and training, including work-based learning.

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The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 crisis is leading to reductions in work-based learning opportunities for vocational education and training (VET) students. This policy brief argues that VET programmes can be adapted to deliver practical components of VET in school-based settings when there is a persistent shortage of work-based learning opportunities. It also describes how innovative technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and simulators can be utilised to facilitate school-based delivery of practical learning, but also to improve the effectiveness of face-to-face and online teaching in VET in the longer-term.

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Vocational education and training (VET) plays a central role in preparing young people for work, developing the skills of adults and responding to the labour-market needs of the economy. Teachers and leaders in VET can have an immediate and positive influence on learners' skills, employability and career development. However, on average across the 18 OECD countries, teacher compensation accounts for 52 per cent of the total expenditure of public and private upper secondary VET institutions, and 40 per cent of the total for post-secondary VET institutions. In the majority of countries with available data, the share of expenditure devoted to teacher compensation in VET is the same or lower than in general education (52 per cent in VET versus 58 per cent in general education at the upper secondary level on average across countries).

Despite their importance, when compared to general academic programmes, there is limited evidence on the characteristics of teachers and institutional leaders in VET and the policies and practices of attracting and preparing them. VET teachers require a mix of pedagogical skills and occupational knowledge and experience, and need to keep these up to date to reflect changing skill needs in the labour market and evolving teaching and learning environments. This report aims to fill the knowledge gap on teachers and leaders in VET, and produces new insights into what strategies and policies can help develop and maintain a well-prepared workforce. It zooms in on VET teacher shortages; strategies for attracting and retaining teachers; initial training and professional development opportunities for teachers; the use of innovative technologies and pedagogical strategies; and the important role of institutional leaders and strategies for better preparing and supporting them.

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Vocational education and training (VET) is an important part of education systems around the world. VET systems differ widely between countries in how programmes are designed and delivered. Moreover, countries differ in terms of the types of providers that deliver VET. This report looks at the VET provider landscape in Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. It provides insights into the number of different providers by country, their focus areas and target populations. It describes how providers are different and how they overlap, as well as structures and initiatives to foster co-ordination between them.

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A changing world of work brings the importance of vocational education and training (VET) to the forefront, as it has the ability to develop the skills that are needed in today's labour markets and societies. At the same time, structural changes highlight the need to re-engineer certain parts of VET systems in some countries to make them more resilient and ensure they can make the most of the opportunities ongoing changes present. This report zooms in on four key dimensions of future-ready VET systems: (1) responsiveness to changing skill needs; (2) the flexibility to make VET work for all; (3) the ability to support transitions into a changing labour market and further learning; and (4) the potential of digital technology to innovate VET design and delivery. For each of these dimensions, the report presents a set of key questions that policymakers and other VET stakeholders should consider when re-engineering VET to make it more future-ready, as well as insights from data and international examples of policies and practices.

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Industry knowledge and practical experience are important assets for vocational teachers to effectively deliver vocational education and training (VET) and facilitate VET students' entry into the labour market. Work-based learning (WBL) is an effective tool for VET, as learners are placed directly within industries and can gain real-life work experience and skills. Teachers in VET can also benefit from WBL as an effective professional development tool, and WBL is also an opportunity for them to stay in close contact with industry, thereby gaining relevant work experience, updating their technical knowledge and adapting their teaching to rapidly evolving work environments and changing labour market needs. However, many VET teachers still lack access to high-quality WBL due to institutional and organisational challenges. This chapter provides an overview of WBL opportunities for vocational teachers and presents examples of industry placements from selected countries, exploring the question of how best to organise and implement WBL for vocational teachers.

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