Editing Vocational education (section)

==Purpose==
TVET serves multiple purposes. One purpose is to prepare the youth for work. This is done through the learning and development of work related skills and the mastery of underlying knowledge and scientific principles. Work is broadly defined and therefore refers to both formal employment and self-employment. To support self-employment, TVET curricula often include entrepreneurship training. Related to this is the social reproduction and transformation of occupational and vocational practices.<ref name=":billet">{{cite book |last1=Billet |first1=Stephen |title=Vocational education : purposes, traditions and prospects |date=2011 |publisher=Springer |location=Drodrecht |isbn=9789400719538}}</ref><ref name=":maclean">{{cite book |editor1-last=Maclean |editor1-first=Rupert |editor2-last=Herschbach |editor2-first=Dennis R |title=International Handbook for the Changing Word of Work |date=2009 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-5281-1|isbn=978-1-4020-5280-4 }}</ref>

A related role is continuing professional development. The rapid technological changes demand that workers continuously update their knowledge and skills. Unlike the past where a job could be held for life, it is common place to change vocations several times. TVET enables that flexibility in two ways. One is providing broad based technical knowledge and transversal skills on which different occupations can be based on. The second is providing continuing vocational training to workers.<ref name=":billet" /><ref name=":maclean" />
In contrast with the industrial paradigm of the old economy, today's global economy lays the onus on the worker to continually reinvent himself or herself. In the past, workers were assured of a job for life, with full-time employment, clear occupational roles and well established career paths. This is no longer the case. The knowledge dependent global economy is characterized by rapid changes in technology and related modes of work. Often, workers find themselves declared redundant and out of work. TVET today has the responsibility of re-skilling such workers to enable them find and get back to work
Apart from providing work related education, TVET is also a site for personal development and emancipation. These concerns the development of those personal capacities that relate to realizing one's full potential with regard to paid or self employment, occupational interests, and life goals outside of work. At the same time TVET seeks to enable individual overcome disadvantages due to circumstances of birth or prior educational experiences.<ref name=":billet" /><ref name=":maclean" /><ref name=":mcgrath">{{cite journal |last1=McGrath |first1=Simon |title=Where to Now for Vocational Education and Training in Africa |journal=International Journal of Training and Research |date=2011 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=35–48 |doi=10.5172/ijtr.9.1-2.35|s2cid=145050191 }}</ref><ref name=":porres">{{cite journal |last1=Porres |first1=Gisselle Tur |last2=Wildemeersch |first2=Danny |last3=Simons |first3=Maarten |title=Reflections on the Emancipatory Potential of Vocational Education and Training Practices: Freire and Rancière in Dialogue |journal=Studies in Continuing Education |date=2014 |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=275–289 |doi=10.1080/0158037X.2014.904783|s2cid=143863632 |url=https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/398568 }}</ref>

From a development point of view, TVET facilitates provide economic growth by increasing the productivity of workers. The returns from increased output far exceed the costs of training, direct and indirect, leading to economic growth.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hoeckel |first1=Kathrin |title=Costs and Benefits of Vocational Education and Training |journal=OECD |date=2008 |volume=17 |url=http://www.oecd.org/education/skills-beyond-school/41538706.pdf}}</ref> TVET like any other form of education also facilitates socio-economic development by enhancing the capacity of individuals to adopt practices that are socially worthwhile.<ref name=":mcgrath" />
As a form of education similar to all others, TVET aims to developing the broad range of personal capabilities that characterize an educated person. Thus, the provision of broad based knowledge seeks to ensure critic-creative thinking. TVET also aims at developing capacities for effective communication and effective interpersonal relations.<ref name=":billet" /><ref name=":maclean" />