The Key Players

Governments increasingly see education and, in particular, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as having a key role to play in the economic success and social stability of a country. Corporate bodies, as consumers of skilled workers, are loud in articulating their need for trained staff as they search for new markets and increasing productivity. Individuals are becoming aware of the potential of TVET to improve their employment prospects and their future income. Against this growing perception of the importance of TVET by potential buyers and users, an increasing range of these agencies and decision-makers see open and distance education (ODL) as a realistic way of extending TVET to a much wider public.