Staying ahead of the game: TVET in a rapidly changing world
By Neil Shaw, Global Sector and Programme Lead, TVET
The latest seminar in the British Council’s flagship UK TVET Policy Seminar series, ‘Staying ahead of the game: TVET in a rapidly changing world’ was held in June 2025 in Belfast. Hosted at two stunning college venues – Belfast Metropolitan’s Titanic Quarter campus, and Northern Region College’s brand new Causeway campus in Coleraine – the event brought together senior delegates from government, training and industry for four days of expert input, college and employer visits and the sharing of ideas, knowledge and experience. Twelve partner countries were represented at the seminar: Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The theme encompassed a broad range of topics of critical relevance to the TVET sector globally, including rapid technological developments especially in the area of A.I, the climate crisis, inclusion, increasing globalisation – and at the same time a move in some countries to protectionism, changing demographics, conflict, increasing migration and shifting labour markets. The seminar sessions covered subjects as diverse as the increased emphasis on soft and green skills, the growing appetite for – and capacity to deliver – flexibility and personalisation in teaching and learning, the development of more sophisticated methods of measuring skills demands, the strengthening linkages between TVET and HE, and the internationalising of TVET.
The event showcased some of the brilliant work currently going on in TVET in Northern Ireland and some highlights for me were the Department of Economy’ Skills Barometer, the innovative work happening in the areas of sectoral partnerships, curriculum hubs and project-based learning, and the TVET sector’s response to social inclusion initiatives. A highpoint in our UK TVET policy seminars is often the employer visits and that was certainly the case in Northern Ireland, with fascinating visits excellently hosted by three widely contrasting employers: bus manufacturers, Wrightbus; veterinary pharmaceutical laboratories, Norbrook; and software company, Version 1. All three visits in their different ways, provided insights into how companies are responding to and contributing to the rapidly changing world – and how they are working with TVET to do so.
The seminar provided great opportunities for the international delegates to meet with counterparts from the Northern Ireland TVET sector – and none greater than at the event’s networking reception in the magnificent Belfast City Hall, complete with local music. The relationships and partnerships that form through such occasions are one of the key legacies of British Council’s policy seminars.
While the seminar was about exploring how policy and practice can adapt to help ensure TVET systems can best respond to the rapidly changing world we live in, ultimately the focus of everyone in attendance was the end-users of these TVET systems. I think for all delegates a special highlight was the contribution of the college students – who told their often moving stories, with great confidence, honesty and self-awareness. They are a powerful testament to the value of the work we do.
On a personal note, this was my final TVET policy seminar at the British Council before I leave the organisation later this summer after 22 years. I would like to thank everyone who helped make it such a memorable one.
This seminar is supported by funding from the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme. Going Global Partnerships supports universities, colleges and wider education stakeholders around the world to work together towards stronger, equitable, inclusive, more internationally connected higher education, science and TVET.