Reforming technical and vocational education and training in the Middle East and North Africa: Experiences and challenges

The report is the result of an analysis of the main challenges for the reform of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Middle East and North Africa, undertaken jointly by the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the World Bank. The role of TVET in the provision of quality and relevant learning opportunities in the region is explored around five themes: improving governance, financing, quality and relevance, the role of the private sector and the acquisition of skills in the informal sector. Key findings from country reviews of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia are presented in the report. It concludes that: the role of TVET needs to be refocused as an instrument for the knowledge economy; TVET needs to be inclusive of social partners; accountability mechanisms and decentralisation need to be developed for public provision of training services; improved relevance, better quality and increased opportunity for lifelong learning need new sources of funding and new funding mechanisms; the current quality innovations need to be within a larger framework for reform; the limited capacity which constrains the participation of the private sector needs to be addressed; and learning opportunities for informal sector workers need to be developed in partnership with non-government organisations.