A Role for TVET in Organizational Training and Development

Abstract

Individuals and organizations alike derive benefits from training and development, making the money and time a valuable investment. Thus, on one side is the survival of every organization depending first and majorly on the employees who are the organizations’ most significant asset and as such must be trained and developed; and on the other side is a TVET system that is today steadily emerging from the shadows of negative public perceptions and an era of being a neglected education sub-sector to finally becoming the mainstream pathway of education and training system in many developing countries. Throughout this often-challenging journey, TVET systems have accumulated a vast volume of experience over time that organizations and industry can tap into for own employee training and development programs. This paper therefore reviews relevant literature to define the meaning of training and development in the context of an organization, and whereas most definitions of the two terms have, in the process of defining them, had them mixed up with one another, this paper draws a clear distinction of the two meanings with a table that shows the activities involved in each terminology. The paper discusses the role that TVET systems can play in organizational training and development of many developing countries especially in Africa that are now fully embracing an industry engaged TVET system (Employer-Led TVET system) and the opportunities therein for TVET systems and organizations. The paper then recommends for development of a regulatory framework that can guide and regulate the entire process from start to end; and a national monitoring system to support the organizational and industry training and development by the TVET systems.
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