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Open in new tab Guide on making TVET
and skills development
inclusive for all
Guide on making TVET
and skills development
inclusive for all
Ralf Lange
Christine Hofmann
Manuela Di Cara
March 2020
ILO Skills and Employability Branch
Copyright © International Labour Organization 2020
First published (2020)
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Guide on making TVET and skills development inclusive for all
ISBN: 978-92-2-134056-0 (print)
978-92-2-134057-7 (web pdf)
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Cover photo credits: ©Quino Al on Unsplash
Design by the International Training Centre of the ILO, Turin – Italy
Guide on making TVET and skills development inclusive for all
iii
Foreword
TVET closures and the economic impacts of
Only few national TVET policies and strategies
the COVID-19 pandemic risk exacerbating
refer to inclusion, primarily focusing on
inequalities and causing a “lockdown
generation”. Inclusive skills development
and lifelong learning opportunities are vital
to prevent people from being left behind,
to maintain people’s employability, and to
ensure that economies and enterprises recover
promptly from the crisis.
In principle, skills development systems
cater to all people striving to learn relevant
skills to earn a living and find their place
in society. In reality, many individuals and
groups in society find themselves excluded
from learning opportunities, for a wide range
of reasons. People in precarious, informal
employment face numerous access barriers,
and availability and accessibility of training
centres might pose a problem for people living
gender equality. Awareness building of policy-
makers is critical to expand TVET policies to all
excluded individuals or groups and to move
towards greater inclusion in skills development
and lifelong learning for all.
This ILO guide on making TVET and skills
development inclusive for all targets policy-
makers and representatives of workers’ and
employers’ organizations engaged in skills
development systems, TVET centre staff, and
development practitioners providing skills policy
advice. The guide aims to help skills decision-
makers and practitioners assess to what extent
their TVET system is currently excluding certain
individuals or groups, identifies underlying
reasons, and provides practical ideas on what
could be done to redress inequalities. The
guide’s self-assessment tool is also available in
in remote areas or people with disabilities.
digital format.
Perceptions and stereotypes can influence the
selection of training courses, discouraging
interested persons from joining certain
courses. Training environments might not
be amenable to all people, causing higher
drop-out rates if learning methodologies do
not take account of special needs of learners
or for women, if separate washrooms or
lighting are not installed. After graduation,
transition to employment can also be more
challenging if labour market actors perpetuate
Improving the labour market prospects and
quality of work for those disadvantaged in
the labour market is a key focus of the ILO’s
research and capacity building agenda.
Inclusion is not just a normative goal, it also
benefits employers who gain a broader pool
of available skills, co-workers who learn from
more diverse environments, and governments
and societies who would otherwise shoulder
the costs of exclusion.
discrimination. Ensuring that disadvantaged
This guide has been authored by Ralf Lange,
groups enjoy inclusive skills development
Christine Hofmann and Manuela Di Cara.
environments will help them be more
It incorporates comments from Jürgen
successful in transitioning to decent work.
Menze, Gurchaten Sandhu, Laura Schmid,