The 2023 edition of Education at a Glance from the OECD has recently been published with a focus on vocational and technical education. For the convenience of subscribers, a copy is attached. A quote from the editorial gives a taste of the material to be found in this valuable publication:

Vocational education and training (VET) is vital. It offers an alternative to academic education, equips learners with practiceoriented and employability skills, eases the school-to-work transition, and meets economies’ demand for skilled workers.

Across the OECD, 44% of all upper secondary students are enrolled in vocational education and training; in some countries, such as the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, this rises to over two-thirds. Despite this high share, vocational programmesin many countries are still seen as a last resort. Too often, VET is seen as a fallback option for students who struggle with school or lack motivation, rather than as a first choice that leads to attractive career paths.

To meet labour-market challenges and to guide all learners into the right programmes for their talents and aspirations, we need to make VET more attractive and accessible. Our latest edition of Education at a Glance provides a range of new crossnational data on vocational programmes that will help policy makers understand the effectiveness of their VET systems to foster opportunity, inclusion and sustainable growth.