WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 1

ember 2005
 The transformation of rural labour markets

• Impact of globalisation on rural labour

markets
• The rise of non-farm employment and income
(30% to 40% of rural households ’ income in
South Asia)
• Diversification of employment patterns
• The new perspective : from employment to
sustainable livelihoods

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 2

ember 2005
 Agricultural education and training :
main limitations

• Excessive focus on public sector jobs and on farm

employment
• Lack of consideration for new skill areas: environment
and natural resources management, biotechnology,
agribusiness…
• Fragmented delivery
• Lack of learning pathways
• Lack of relationships between providers and the labour
market
• Focus on tertiary level qualifications
• Weak articulation between research and training
• Low enrolment capactity
WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 3
ember 2005
 The rationale for rural skills
development
• Food security challenge : urgent need to
increase productivity (Sub-Saharan Africa)
• Environmental challenge : protecting the
environment (soils, coastal areas, forests…)
• Economic challenge: contributing to economic
growth, increasing international competitiveness
of the agricultural sector
• Social challenge: poverty reduction, employment
generation, building social capital

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 4

ember 2005
African producers have been unable to make up for the decline
in
prices through higher volumes, since African agricultural
production has been flat over the past two decades, while
agricultural
production increased rapidly in developing countries as a whole

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 5

ember 2005
 The way forward:
three policy directions
• Reforming the TVET sector in relation to
rural and agricultural development
• Including rural skills interventions in
poverty reduction strategies
• Broadening the EFA agenda to include
programs for rural youth and adults

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 6

ember 2005
 Reforming the TVET sector in relation to
rural and agricultural development
• Agriculture-related and rural development skills within
TVET and higher education policies
• TVET provision can be transformative in contributing to
rural economic regeneration but also in offering a way to
out-migration
• TVET for rural development, a livelihood approach
(embracing all skills relevant to rural life, versus
agriculture education)
• Articulating TVET programs with rural development
projects
• Formulate a specific AET strategy (SNFAR)
• Rising the status of rural issues in policy and planning

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 7

ember 2005
Including rural skills interventions in
poverty reduction strategies
• Many PRSPs make special reference to TVET as a
critical component of capacity building
• Target groups include the poor but also civil society
organizations and decentralized levels of government
• Targeted sectors go beyond education to cover
institutional, social and economic dimensions (capacity-
building as an intersectoral dimension: agriculture and
rural development, housing, health and social protection,
public sector management…)
• Only, some PRSPs mention the reform of theTVET
sector

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 8

ember 2005
 Broadening the EFA agenda to include
programmes for rural youth and adults
• National EFA Action Plan focus on school education, in
particular UPE, the needs of out-of-school youth are
overlooked, notably rural
• However goals 3 and 4 of the Dakar framework relate
to skills developmpent for rural youth and adults :
– Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and
adults are met through equitable access to appropriate
learning and life skills programmes
– Increasing adult literacy
• Promoting skills development for rural people
– The development of capacity for learning, innovation and
productivity
– Skills are more than just narrow technical competencies
– Skills also include interpersonal, communications, teamwork
and creative skills

WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 9

ember 2005
 Issues for donors: which focus for
support?
• TVET policies
• AET policies (SNFAR)
• Linking agricultural education issues to a
Sector Wide Approach
• Integrating skills development strategies
for rural people in PRSPs
• Giving more visibility to Education for Rural
People in the overall EFA movement at the
national and international levels (ERP
flagship/partnership)
WGICSD, FAO, Rome, 10-11 Nov 10
ember 2005