TVET as an important factor in country’s economic development

Education and training for productive employment is vital for economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is viewed as a tool for productivity enhancement and poverty reduction in the region. As there is a strong correlation between the proportion of TVET students at the post-secondary level and per capita income, many countries have taken steps to strengthen policy guidance and regulatory frameworks for TVET and to improve partnerships with private sector and employers. However, there is a difference between developed and less developed countries in terms of their first priorities regarding TVET. [The author] brings together a number of areas of strategic development for Hong Kong stated in the 2014 Chief Executive's policy address namely: economic development; innovation and technology industries; vocational education; and environmental protection. High performance in increasingly competitive global economies combined with the need to address global challenges posed by climate change and carbon emissions, environmental degradation and pollution, health, and poverty, require successful countries to adapt innovation-driven strategies for growth that should be supported by TVET.