UNESCO/UNEVOC ORGANISES THE BILT IN FORUM LEARNING VIRTUAL FORUM

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) - International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNEVOC) organised the Bridging Innovation and Learning (BILT) in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Learning Forum under the theme "New Qualifications and Competencies: building the future of TVET".

This virtual event was held on the 7^th – 9^th December, 2021, and was co-hosted by Africa – The Human Resource Development Council of the Republic of Botswana), UNEVOC Centers from Europe - Centre for Studies and Research on Qualifications in France and Asia - Human Resources Development Service of Korea and the Pacific. The BILT project supports TVET stakeholders in their bid to address current challenges in TVET systems, which arise due to technological, social, environmental, and workplace changes. BILT leverages the existing mechanism of the UNEVOC network to offer opportunities for collaboration and peer learning between Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. The project complements national developments to explore and support innovative, market-oriented and attractive modes of learning and models of cooperation in TVET.

Through its activities, the BILT project puts UNESCO’s TVET Strategy into practice, particularly by supporting two of its cross-cutting intervention areas; skills anticipation and assessment as well as skills and qualifications recognition within and across borders. The activities of the BILT project are organised with the aim to bring together TVET stakeholders from different regions, generating knowledge through publications and other media platforms and supporting implementation through capacity development.

The Republic of Botswana is a member of the Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) Project Advisory Committee. The project aims to align Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to contemporary needs by developing capacity for future skills thus making TVET responsive to the global socio-economic challenges.  The main priority being to achieve new qualifications and competencies for the future. The development of TVET is positioned as top priority in the National Human Resource Development Strategy (2009-2022) of the Republic of Botswana as it has proven to be a viable option to support the country’s transformation from a resource driven to a knowledge based economy. Implementation of this strategy will to a large extent enable the country to achieve the ideals of UNESCO’s Education 2030 Framework. Among many topics discussed during the Forum addressed issues such as; TVET responsiveness to green economies, Transition to the use of renewable energy and Stakeholder collaboration especially TVET Institutions and the Industry.

In this regard, TVET plays a critical role in the development of such competencies. On Digital Innovation Cycle, it was noted that the workplace is becoming increasingly digitalised and it was imperative for TVET to develop digital competencies that are responsive to future labour market demands.