Skills Development: Vocational Education
in the Islamic Countries
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7.4. Generalized findings fromQualitative study
There are five themes emerged fromqualitative datawhich are generalised for specific contexts
of OIC member states.
THEME 1: Eradicationof poverty viavocational education
Poverty eradication: Vocational institutions have been considered as a basis for reducing the
poverty levels inmost of the OICmember states. It provides employable skills to the youthwhich
help them gaining a job, or to start up a business for their living.
Gaining immediate Job: Graduates fromTVET sectors have greater chance tosecure jobs in the
workplace as compared to other academic disciplines in higher education. Vocational education
generally provides job focused short and long-term training, which make them (unemployed
people) competent to meet industrial demand. Therefore, skilled workers have high possibility
to get jobs in workplace compare to the unskilled people.
Entrepreneurship skills: TVET is considered as a means of equipping students with self-
employment skills in many OIC member states. The countries in OIC member states who have
less job opportunities for skilled people, should focus more on creating new business through
entrepreneurship.
Remittance: The demand for skilled workers is high in foreign countries. Therefore, skilled
workers are paid much higher than an unskilled people. Every year, a huge number of people
(both skilled and unskilled) migrate to developed countries in the world for seeking jobs from
different OIC countries. This way, skilled works could earn more foreign currency (remittance)
compare to unskilled people.
Socio-economic status: TVET sectors can play a vital role for improving socio-economic status
in the OIC member states. By gaining skills, graduates will be able to earn money through
employment, entrepreneurship or to migrate to another country. Gainingmoney therefore has
direct impact on their living standards. Thus, there is close relationsh ip among achieving
required skills, employment (business) and improving socio-economic status.
Refugee camps: Through vocational training, refugees are in position to do in-camps jobs to
sustain themselves. Refugees in OICmember states have been trained withsome skill withwhich
they can use, within camps, to earn a living. Besides, if possible, they will migrate to developed
countries for securing better job with the secured skills.
THEME 2: Government initiatives towards improving TVET sectors
Governments of OIC member states have realized the importance of TVET sectors towards
converting huge population to skilled manpower. Therefore, governments have taken many
initiatives towards improving TVET sectors:
Expansion of TVET sectors:
In order to attract huge unemployed youth (both male and female) in skill training for future
employment, government has taken initiative to expand it throughout the whole country. In
order to attract more female students, and to consider their preferences, few governments of
OICmember states has established separate female TVET institutions. For example, government
of Bangladesh established female polytechnic institutes in big cities and in future many other
new institutions will be built in rural area for them.