Abstract:

In 2017, the support committee for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) was established in Honduras, with the participation of public institutions in the education and labor sectors, as well as international development cooperation. This tripartite collaboration aimed to create a social pact for strengthening efforts in workforce education to enhance the nation's competitiveness, expand learning progression, facilitate transitions between educational levels, and promote lifelong learning certification. The focus was to shift professional development pathways from being institution-centric to person-centric.

The purpose of this systematization was to identify the lessons learned from the development of an inclusive, participatory public education policy that promotes a culture of peace. Employing a qualitative methodological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders, system users, and decision-makers. A discourse analysis was performed using perception matrices, evaluating dimensions until common agreements on the learning outcomes of the process were reached.

The stages of policy development included adhering to public planning guidelines, reviewing relevant literature and the current state of the field, designing surveys, and conducting assessments leading to the establishment of strategic axes derived from the systematization dimensions. In 2020, a national consultation was conducted despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This consultation involved stakeholders in technical and vocational education and training, the employment sector, labor institutions, and major business federations representing key service and product chains, forming the initial consultative clusters for the development of professional families.

The findings of the systematization indicate that the value of the lessons learned is rooted in institutional diversity and communication levels. The consortium was formed and promoted by the Ministry of Education and the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). In addition to their involvement, the Institute of Professional Formation (INFOP), the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP), the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the National Pedagogical University (UPNFM), and cooperation from European Union-funded programs in the employment sector, alongside the Ministry of Labor as part of the Public Employment Policy, contributed actively to the process. Organized labor sectors and business associations also participated in the process.

Ultimately, the TVET policy in Honduras represents a collective effort that was approved and ratified by the National Education Council, becoming one of the accepted agreements as part of the education reform process in the new government for 2022-2026. Efforts are also being made to secure state resources for its implementation.

Keywords:

EFTP, CET, VET, TVE, workforce.