An Analysis of Technical and Vocational Education Policy Growth and Development in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Africa

Abstract

Socio-economic development is negatively affected if Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) policy growth and development is not purposefully aligned injandem with the national economic thrust. This paper starts by defining the concept of TVE before analysing this process in American, British and African systems. The analysis suggests that Africa has important lessons to learn from the two developed countries, especially on ensuring that TVE systems produce graduates that stay within the country and contribute towards national socio-economic development. African TVE policies have to address the skills, knowledge and attitude needs of local communities, including rural areas, the informal sector, the unemployed and women. The paper suggests that TVE systems should aim at producing indigenous African researchers and designers who will utilise local resources to come up with internationally competitive appropriate technologies and products. This should bring socio-economic development to the continent, thereby reducing TVE system graduate unemployment and emigration.