COL’s Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Toolkit is an online service for TVET educators and policymakers. In an experience-sharing webinar hosted by COL, over 200 practitioners and institutional leaders from nine Pacific countries joined the event. This level of attendance demonstrates the significant need for new opportunities for training in skills in the region.

This webinar was organized as part of the Partnership for Open Distance and Flexible Learning in the Pacific Project supported by the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, New Zealand implemented in partnership with PACFOLD, a COL-supported regional center hosted by the University of the South Pacific.

Three practitioners, from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu, presented their experiences in using the Toolkit and how TVET institutions and trainers can benefit from its use, with one focusing on how it can help to reduce the costs of production of learning materials. In addition, important suggestions were provided from other practitioners on how to make the Toolkit more inclusive.

Robert Okinda, COL Adviser: Skills gave a summary of the nine projects already in progress in eight Pacific countries that are making use of the Toolkit.  Mr Okinda encouraged TVET practitioners to refer to the resources when integrating flexible and open learning in TVET systems, designing and developing open educational resources, and providing skills training using blended learning approaches. He invited the submission of proposals from regionally-based stakeholders, such as government ministries and national TVET agencies and institutions, as well as industrial organisations providing apprenticeship training.

Suggestions on how the toolkit can be improved are invited and can be submitted here.