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-2005-11-03 2:58 pm |
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This article gives a quick overview over the following issues:
- What is the UNEVOC Network?
- Why a UNEVOC Network?
- Roles of UNEVOC Centres
- How to become a UNEVOC Centre
- Recommended Improvements |
Full Text
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Author(s) |
UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre
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Publication date |
September 2003
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Publisher |
UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre
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Publication Location |
Bonn
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Number of pages |
6
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Series |
UNEVOC Flyers
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Keywords |
UNEVOC Network, TVET
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Full Text |
This document is available for download in pdf format (630 KB)
in  english and french.
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What is the UNEVOC Network?
The UNEVOC Network is a worldwide network of specialised institutions in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), the so-called UNEVOC Centres. The UNEVOC Network consists of more than 220 UNEVOC Centres across more than 150 UNESCO Member States. It is a unique platform for the sharing of knowledge and experiences regarding all aspects of TVET.
At the time of its inception in 1992, the UNEVOC Network was UNESCO's response to the lack of a platform for international cooperation in the area of TVET. Since then, the UNEVOC Network has been available for all interested institutions and individuals working in TVET.
Despite their diversity, the individual UNEVOC Centres have in common their unique positions within their countries. This enables them to cooperate with other TVET stakeholders, in their own country and worldwide. Ideally, UNEVOC Centres are the hubs of countrywide TVET networks – just as the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre is the hub of the worldwide UNEVOC Network.
Why a UNEVOC Network
With the UNEVOC Network, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre responds to the need to develop and strengthen TVET worldwide. In order to do so, it is very important to transfer knowledge and expertise about innovative and best practices from one country to another, as well as to facilitate the information flow within countries.
While other elements of education and training systems have previously established worldwide networks, the UNEVOC Network is the first of its kind for TVET. Therefore, the UNEVOC Network has an important and unique role to play.
Roles of UNEVOC Centres
Exchange can occur between UNEVOC Centres that are in need to develop the TVET system and those having knowledge on how to achieve this. But, it is also possible that UNEVOC Centres facing similar challenges cooperate with the aim to jointly identify and implement possible solutions.
UNEVOC Centres are free to determine the fields in which they would like to exchange expertise. However, they will most certainly exchange information, experience and skills on all three major areas of work of the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre (developing TVET systems, improving access to TVET, and assuring quality of TVET).
And sometimes, the exchange goes even further: for instance, on issues such as curriculum development.
In order to facilitate cooperation, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre provides additional tools, such as other networks (e.g. email discussion forums and projects fostering sub-regional cooperation), knowledge sharing and publications, advisory services, and human resource development.
There are several email discussion forums. One includes only UNEVOC Centres and is, therefore, particularly helpful for the exchange of information among these centres. Another includes actors in a sub-regional cooperation project, with many UNEVOC Centres being amongst them.
The third, the UNESCO-UNEVOC Electronic Mail Forum (E-Forum), on which a separate informative flyer exists, includes individual TVET experts worldwide, many of them – though not exclusively – being from UNEVOC Centres. Within these email discussion forums, participants have the opportunity to announce international conferences and workshops, inform about publiccations and resources available on the Internet, inquire about materials, and seek partners for international cooperation in research and development.
The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre has initiated subregional cooperation in TVET in selected world regions. The most prominent of these projects is in Southern Africa (a separate flyer on this project is available). UNEVOC Centres were among the first institutions contacted before the project started. And many UNEVOC Centres are active partners in this endeavour.
UNEVOC Centres also receive on a regular basis all relevant publications that the UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre publishes and that the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre receives from other parties for dissemination.
How to become a UNEVOC Centre
UNEVOC Centres are nominated by the National Commission of UNESCO of their UNESCO Member State. Therefore, if you wish your institution to become a member of the UNEVOC Network, please check with the National Commission for UNESCO or with the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre as to whether UNEVOC Centres have already been nominated in your country. The National Commission for UNESCO might forward a letter of recommendation to the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre.
Recommended Improvements
In 2002, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre sent a questionnaire to all UNEVOC Centres worldwide. One of the major outcomes of this questionnaire was to ascertain the views of UNEVOC Centres on how to strengthen the UNEVOC Network to better serve UNESCO Member States in developing their TVET systems. The questionnaire revealed that UNEVOC Centres have clear ideas on how to further improve the UNEVOC Network, in three main areas:
- Improved information flow between the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre and UNEVOC Centres;
- Assuring that UNEVOC Centres are established in focal points for TVET in the countries in question;
- Improved networking among UNEVOC Centres at national, regional and international levels.
The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre is currently reviewing these recommendations and will implement them where appropriate.
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