Preparing TVET Personnel to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals – Objectives, Concepts, and Experiences
Editors:
Margarita Pavlova (The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR)
Yuk Kwan Ricky Ng (Vocational Training Council, Hong Kong, SAR)
Shakil Rehman Sheikh (Air University, Pakistan)
Mahyuddin Arsat (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia)
Sustainable development goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without human resource development (HRD) combined with capacity building for communities. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted byUnited Nations members in 2015, highlights the need for protection, peace and prosperity for all ‘actants’ on the planet. It calls for an end to poverty and all deprivations by developing sustainable strategies to ensure food, shelter, financial independence, health, education and freedom are available to all. However, these goals could not be achieved without preserving eco-systems of the planet and mitigating climate change. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), both formal and non-formal, is one of the key vehicles for supporting HRD for the purposes of individual and collective well-being. From this perspective, TVET can become a catalyst for the social and economic transformation of communities and economies for the purposes of achieving SDGs targets.
The traditional basis of TVET on economic rationales and focus on industrial modernisation do not necessarily support the type of economic development required for SDGs achievement, therefore it should be revised in order to match TVET in Asia with the SD agenda. As a consequence, the quality of TVET, in all its multifaceted manifestations, should be a priority focus for governments in the region as well as worldwide.
In this context a strong national policy directed at transforming TVET systems for the purpose of equipping learners with the core competencies required for these changes (e.g. green skills, critical and systematic thinking skills) is a must. Of course there will be challenges encountered in the process.These relate to:rapid technological transformation across all sectors that are required for SD; the strengthening of environmental industry sectors,as well as other economic and social changes in order to render existing skills redundant;the introduction of new programs; and closer collaboration with industry and large-scale capacity building for TVET personnel.
These challenges can be addressed at different levels, such as:
a) policy formulation,
b) regulatory mechanisms, such as national qualification frameworks, the standardisation of curriculum and requirements for TVET teachers’ profiles and qualifications,
c) institutional, and
d) personal.
Although the role of the governments and regulatory frameworks is fundamental for the transformation of the TVET system, TVET institutions and TVET practitioners can also be active change agents for the achievement of SDGs. They can be actively involved in establishing strong networks with industries and communities, integrating critical global issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, sustainable consumption, as well as measures for greening industries and incorporating green technologies into their curriculum.
Personnel involved in all four levels of TVET systems stated above are arguably the most important influencers who contribute to the quality of TVET and its proactive pursuit of SDGs. Issue 14 of TVET@Asia will address the challenges associated with capacity building throughout TVET systems to ensure the effective implementation of SDGs and will scrutinise the objectives, concepts and experiences involved in preparing TVET personnel.
We invite scholars, scientists, curriculum developers, practitioners and teachers from the TVET community to contribute to the upcoming issue14 ofTVET@Asia, and to address the issues and challenges outlined below:
1. The characteristics required for TVET personnel in the context of achieving SDGs
2. Concepts and theoretical approaches for preparing TVET personnel for sustainable development
3. Planning, organising and developing best practices for increasing TVET staff’s capacity building strategies and activities specific to the achievement of SDGs at different Levels
4. Curriculum development for initial and in-service TVET teacher training in order to incorporate SDGs in teaching and learning
5. Enhance and advance TVET’s quality of learning and teaching approaches to address SDGs that can be gained through personnel development
6. Acquisition of teachers’ and students’ competencies with a focus on green skills, digital literacy, creativity, adaptability and life-long learning that are required for the achievement of SDGs
7. Concepts and experiences in developing work-integrated learning (WIL) curricula to facilitate closer collaborations between TVET institutions and environmental industries
8. Training TVET personnel in order to improve access to quality TVET (e.g. mobile TVET centres; online approaches, training for communities)
Of course, your contribution can extend beyond these topics, but it will need to retain a clear focus on the theme of this issue.
Authors:
Open to any interested author.
Call for Papers:
14 February, 2019
Timeline:
1. Please send an abstract of no more than one page, a short CV/profile (half page) and a list of publications to the editorial board via issue14@tvet-online.asia by 14 May, 2019
2. Please use the “form-abstract_tvet-online.docx” which you can find with other forms for download at https://www.tvet-online.asia/preview
3. Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 June, 2019
4. Submission of a full draft paper by 30 July, 2019
5. Notification of acceptance and peer review ends 30 September, 2019
6. Send the finalised and formatted paper by 30 November, 2019
7. Tentative publication date: 31 December, 2019
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Margarita Pavlova, Yuk Kwan Ricky Ng, Shakil Rehman Sheikh and Mahyuddin Arsat
Download:
> the template for the article: template_TVETAsia_i13.doc240 KB
> the form for the abstract form-abstract_tvet-online.docx
> the form to submit the authors profile profile 48.39 KB
> the full Call for Papers for Issue 13: CfP_Issue-13_TVETAsia.pdf
