Innovating technical and vocational education and training A framework for institutions Innovating technical and vocational education and training A framework for institutions Published in 2020 by the This publication is available in Open Access under United Nations Educational, the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-SA Scientific and Cultural Organization 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/ 7, place de Fontenoy licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/). By using the content of 75352 Paris 07 SP this publication, the users accept to be bound France by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (http://en.unesco.org/open-access/ and terms-use-ccbysa-en). UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training UN Campus Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1 The designations employed and the presentation of 53113 Bonn material throughout this publication do not imply Germany the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any © UNESCO 2020 country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or ISBN: 978-92-3-100415-5 (print/pdf) boundaries. The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Design Christiane Marwecki Print Printed in Germany Innovating technical and vocational education and training – A framework for institutions Table of contents Acknowledgements 4 INNOVATIVE PRACTICES 45 Introduction 46 Introduction 5 Case Study 1 48 Glossary 8 The macro impact of micro businesses in Malta INNOVATION TOOLBOX 11 Case Study 2 51 Award-winning innovations from The balanced scorecard 13 TVET students Assumptions 13 Dimensions 13 Case Study 3 54 Maturity model 15 Spread the word: German students Balanced Scorecard Indicators 18 discovering the benefits of TVET Balanced Scorecard Form 22 Case Study 4 57 Ecosystem map 24 Seychelles’ innovation pipeline Background 24 Ecosystem map dimensions 24 Case Study 5 60 Specific objectives 25 Innovation on a grand scale Indicators for ecosystem mapping 28 Ecosystem map forms 32 Case Study 6 63 Finland’s ‘one-stop shop’ for migrant services THE GUIDED SELF-ASSESSMENT 33 Case Study 7 66 Principles of the guided self-assessment 33 An overview of TVET in the The guided self-assessment process 33 Basque Country Capturing, processing and presenting 36 the results Case Study 8 69 Expected outputs of the guided 36 Fermentation, percolation and incubation self-assessment at the TESDA Women’s Centre Case Study 9 72 INNOVATIVE PRACTICE 37 Mushroom cultivation, bottle recycling and cutting edge TVET in Nigeria Objectives 37 Criteria 37 Structure 37 Annex 77 Process 37 Style, language and format 37 Innovative practice documentation 38 Template INNOVATION ACTION PLAN 42 Definition 42 Process 42 Innovation action plan template 42 3 Acknowledgements The UNEVOC Innovation Framework was developed Seychelles Institute of Technology (Seychelles), as a key output of the Skills for Innovation Hubs University of Vocational Technology (Sri Lanka) and (i-hubs) project, a global initiative implemented Tknika Institute for the Innovation of the Vocational between 2018 and 2020 by UNESCO-UNEVOC and Educational Training System (Basque Country, International Centre for TVET, with funding from Spain). the Beijing Caofeidian International Vocational Education City (BCEC), and additional support In addition, we would like to acknowledge from the German Federal Ministry of Education the contributions of Joao Santos (European and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry for Commission), Georgios Zisimos (European Training Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Foundation), David Bourdages (CIRADD, Canada) and programme specialists and staff in UNESCO UNESCO-UNEVOC extends its appreciation to the and UNESCO-UNEVOC, namely Shyamal Majumdar, following UNEVOC centres that supported the co- Borhene Chakroun, Wilson Lima Junior, Kenneth development process, pilot-testing and validation Barrientos, Peter Greenwood, Jens Liebe, Miki of the framework in the capacity of project partners Nozawa, Rokhaya Diawara, Libing Wang, Katerina of i-hubs: Omnia, The Joint Authority of Education Ananiadou, Mark West, Wouter de Regt and in the Espoo Region (Finland), Berufskolleg an Katarina Ormuz, who contributed their knowledge, der Lindenstrasse (Germany), Rift Valley Technical expertise and assistance to the development of Training Institute (Kenya), Malta College of Arts, the framework. The UNEVOC i-hubs project team Science and Technology (Malta), Yaba College at UNESCO-UNEVOC also extends special thanks to of Technology (Nigeria), Shenzhen Polytechnic Jan Peter Otero (University of Münster) and Matt (People’s Republic of China), Technical Education Zuvela (independent editor) for their technical and Skills Development Authority (Philippines), contributions to the project. 4 Innovating technical and vocational education and training – A framework for institutions Innovating technical and vocational education and training – A framework for institutions Introduction The UNESCO-UNEVOC Skills for Innovation Hubs challenges and become drivers of innovation (i-hubs) initiative was inspired by the challenges in their local skills and innovation ecosystems. and opportunities facing technical and vocational The i-hubs initiative represented a next step that education and training (TVET) from major centred on an Innovation Framework co-developed global disruptions to the economy, society and by UNESCO-UNEVOC with a selected group of environment. These include the combined effects UNEVOC centres. of climate change, digitalization, emerging forms of entrepreneurship and, more recently, global The TVET system can no longer operate according pandemics. While the interconnected nature of to the business-as-usual approach of gradual, these phenomena is disrupting every aspect of progressive evolution driven by policy-makers work and life, including the ability to respond from the top down. In fact, national policy-making to pressing skills demands or anticipate future is struggling to keep pace with the disruption. skills needs, these issues are also creating room The speed and scale of change calls for a radical for innovation to seize the entrepreneurial and shift, with TVET institutions increasingly taking the employment opportunities that come along. initiative from the bottom up and engaging in the innovation process. There are merits to introducing innovation in TVET institutional settings. It helps increase citizens’ potential to innovate and transform the economy WHY USE THIS FRAMEWORK? and society through dynamic skills provisions. It promotes relevance and makes TVET an attractive The development of the UNEVOC Innovation option, that business considers an investment Framework reflects an increased need for guidance rather than a cost. In some cases where adopting and tools that can be used by institutions. Inspired change in traditional measures work more favorably, by tools developed by UNESCO-UNEVOC and innovation can be in the form of an improvement in others, the UNEVOC Innovation Framework should institutional efficiencies and effectiveness. be used according to institutional context. TVET institutions are encouraged to commit to an By applying the UNEVOC Innovation Framework, institution-wide approach to innovation, thereby TVET institutions can assess their preparedness maximizing their potential to overcome disruptive to innovate, take actions to innovate learning Assess institutional preparedness to innovate Develop plans for improvement, mainstreaming innovation in institutional strategy Enhance their ability to provide transversal and technical skills for innovation Innovate the learning process, products and services offered Inspire others to pursue the path of innovation 5 processes and products and services, and develop • The Innovation Toolbox, including: concrete outputs for improvement. In doing so, institutions can inspire other entities in their local • A balanced scorecard (BSC) for gathering ecosystem to pursue the path of innovation. It is and evaluating evidence on institutional through processes like these that TVET institutions performance according to key indicators will be able to develop transversal and technical selected by the TVET institution skills for innovation in their local environment. The UNEVOC Innovation Framework is expected to • An ecosystem map (ESM) to identify key contribute to efforts made by TVET institutions to partners and maximize skills development and mainstream innovation in their strategic planning. innovation potential in the TVET institution’s environment The UNEVOC Innovation Framework (see Figure 1) provides systematic, institution-wide, measurable, • Guidelines to identify and develop documents evidence-based methodology to help TVET for a case study of an innovative practice (IP) institutions develop mature, sustainable at the TVET institution that can be shared with performance as drivers of innovation. peers For the purposes of organization and • A tool for drawing up an innovation action systematization, innovation in TVET institutions plan (IAP) to define and implement actions to has been divided into four dimensions: be taken by the TVET institution that address innovation opportunities revealed by a guided self-assessment (GSA) Strategy and management • A reference list of indicators The GSA process is a structured exercise in which a TVET institution