Vocational skills for sustainable rural development

1. Vocational skills for sustainable rural development Keith Holmes International Institute for Educational Planning www.unesco.org/iiep

2. Aims of presentation • Review what we already know • From “training” to “skills development” • Assess the applicability of a sustainable rural livelihoods approach for ERP • Planning implications for vocational skills for agriculture and rural development • Monitoring and evaluation

3. What we already know • Rural areas are often rich in natural resources • Agriculture, of all types, is of great national importance • Rural economies are increasingly becoming diversified, to include processing and services • Countries are implementing various strategies for vocational skills for agriculture and rural development • Dakar EFA Goal 3: Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes

4. Pro-poor skills development • How far are “skills” socially constructed? • Skills needs vary from place to place • Skills development programmes do not necessarily lead to viable rural livelihoods • Skills development involves partnerships • Skills development is a promising strategy for the socio-economic integration of marginalized and excluded groups

5. Applicability of Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches • People-centred, pro-poor, holistic • Seek to recognise and build upon people’s strengths and existing capabilities • Analysis of complex livelihoods strategies • Recognise impact of macro-policies on opportunities available to poor people • Potential for dialogue between Ministries of Agriculture and Ministries of Education

6. Applicability of Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches • A diagnostic or analytical tool • Places people/households at the centre, identifies pathways and blockages • Integrates sectoral concerns with wider development initiatives • A programme or project design tool • A learning approach: changing ‘worldviews’ (Allison, 2005)

7. Challenges assumptions • e.g. a simple “deficit” approach to “rural” • Starts with the know-how that people have • Recognises that rural “vocations” often consist of many livelihood components • Sustainable rural livelihoods often involve a combination of indigenous and modern skills • About the type of data needed to inform policy • About links between culture and development

8. Implications for planning • Community participation • Avoiding urban-centric perspectives • Recognises diversity of rural livelihoods, and connections with urban economies • Potential integration of formal and informal knowledges, skills, education and training • Learning to listen in new ways; strengthening research capacity

9. Monitoring and evaluation of skills development • What is the contribution of skills development towards macro-policy frameworks (e.g. poverty reduction) and national development priorities? • How far have skills development interventions strengthened the capabilities of rural people to manage their livelihoods in a sustainable way?