The National Strategy for Technical Education & Vocational Training

Yemen has achieved a great expansion in the field of the general education during the three past decades. A rapid development in education opportunities has also been accompanying this expansion in the field of the higher education. This great achievements accomplished by both, the public and the private sectors. Unfortunately, there were not an equal expansion in the field of the technical education and vocational training in parallel to the expansion of the general and higher education that caused the unbalance conditions of the educational system in the country which apparently shown in the labor market requirements on the graduates from these paths of education and training. This of course, contributed directly and indirectly on the raise of the unemployment rate and at the same time the shortages of the skilled workers in some economical sectors.

To manipulate the current and the expected unbalance between the labor market demands, the development plans requirements for the skilled human resources and the existing skills in the labor market, the government of Yemen started to establish a system for the technical education and vocational training and to expand on it as a response to the society and future investments' critical needs.

Special policies have been developed to redirect the system of technical education and vocational training in light of the country comprehension development programs & plans, the second five-years plan for the social and economical development (2001-2005) and the national strategy for poverty reduction (2003-2005).

Since the year 1999 the Yemeni government interest on the technical education and vocational training sector has increased and considered as one of the national priorities. The national conference for technical education & vocational training in Sana'a held during the period 23 -27 of February, 1999, in which a lot of issues were addressed on regard to the problems and the obstacles that this sector is facing. The conference has come up with  several recommendations focused importantly on the necessity of setting out special policies for the technical education and vocational training that keep up with the national development goals and the priorities of the various economy sectors.

more