The Importance of TVET Graduate Tracer Studies in the Developing World
With the growing recognition of the positive impact technical and vocational training (TVET) can have, particularly among younger people, in the developing world, tracer studies are becoming more important.
The delivery of skills training has the ultimate objectives of improving employability, social mobility, and inclusion among students. To meet those objectives, development organizations and training institutes need to be able to provide skill-based training that matches skills in demand in the labor force and skills that are expected to become important in the future.
With many developing countries suffering from weak labor market data and institutions, follow up studies of skill training recipients can play an essential role in tracking labor market demand and changes. When economic structures and technological advancements are reshaping the world of work for so many, remaining abreast of changes is critical.
Matching skills training to the job market is likely to require a granular approach to understanding the job market. This is especially true where little data exists on labor market conditions.
Over time, tracer studies, particularly those that track the career progression of skill training graduates over one or two years, can provide timely and relevant data on the effectiveness of skill-based interventions and how well they are matching labor market conditions.
Those studies can then inform adjustments to skill programs, ensuring they remain relevant. Only then, will they continue contributing to their objectives of improving lives through valued work.
According to a publication by the European Training Foundation / European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training / International Labour Office, tracer studies need to consider the survey target population and the best coverage, how long after the training program should surveys take place, what the best methods of data collection are, and what kind of survey should be deployed.
These survey design elements will be closely linked to the objectives of the survey itself. Ordinarily, a tracer study’s primary objective is to feedback the data into the program to improve it. Objectives can also include reporting findings to funding bodies and establishing which aspects of a training program or institution lead to better employment outcomes than others.
As understanding a globally intertwined world and fast-changing labor markets becomes more complex, TVET actors require more and longer-term data to ensure the training delivered remains relevant. That data can then be used to build up a database of labor market information for the future.
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