Technical and vocational education and training: recommendations by UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation

The ILO and UNESCO, by virtue of their respective constitutions, have responsibilities with regard to vocational training, in the case of the ILO, and technical and vocational education in the case of UNESCO. Within this document, the two organisations have defined, in their respective spheres, the principles which should govern the organisation of vocational training and of technical and vocational education. The objective of combining these two 'recommendations' in the one document, dealing with one subject from different but complementary standpoints, is to reaffirm the principle that the two systems should be complementary but also to show that the collaboration which has long existed between them is being strengthened. Moreover, UNESCO and ILO have tried to make available to the governments of the Member States a system of coordinated standards which they can take as a basis in organising and gradually developing a full vocational training and technical education program or making the necessary improvements to existing systems.

While an attempt has been made to cover all aspects of vocational and technical training, the texts have been drawn up in very general terms to allow application in practice according to a country's level of development. The recommendation from the ILO on vocational training applies not only to training for industrial work but also to commercial training, the system of standards covering all sectors of economic activity and almost all categories of employment. Managerial and supervisory staff above the level of foreman are not covered in this recommendation. UNESCO's recommendation concerns the organisation of technical and vocational education at all levels, in industry, agriculture, commerce and the related services.

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