Pre-employment VET Investment Strategy for Developing Countries: Based on the Experiences of Korea

With substantial expansion of primary education during the 1990s and 2000s and consequent high demand for secondary education, many developing countries are seeking to expand their vocational education at the secondary level to prepare young students for employment. While some recent studies show positive labor market outcomes for graduates from vocational education track, however, investment in pre-employment VET in developing countries in general turned out to be inefficient. This means that more comprehensive and prudent approach is required. By analyzing Korean experiences on pre-employmen t VET reform efforts, this study attempted to identify critical factors that developing countries need to consider when designing, implementing and evaluating pre-employment VET systems and policies.