Vocational education and training in Yemen has a long history, with the first technical school established in 1895 to teach specialist subjects such as ornamentation, carpentry and lathe work.
There have been important developments in education in Yemen during the last 30 years, and the sector has expanded at a rapid pace. However, until recently, there has not been a commensurate expansion in vocational and technical education.
In 1999, the Yemeni government held an important conference on technical education and vocational training in Sana’a, which produced a variety of recommendations for the future of the sector.
More recently, the government has developed specific policies to guide technical education and vocational training in the country, taking into account the five year plan for social and economic development (2001-2005) and the national strategy for poverty reduction (2003-2005).
The government hopes that its plans will help address the requirements of the labour market and boost the numbers of skilled workers in critical sectors in the country.
The Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training aims for TVET to account for 15% of educational output in the country by 2014. Overall, it aims to develop five dimensions of the country’s VET offering, focusing on:
 |
 |
|
responsiveness and equality |
|
|
|
labour market links and enterprise participation |
|
|
|
institutional capacity development |
|
|
|
training centre capacity development |
|
|
|
sector financing. |
| 
