Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa
In the late 1990s, South Africa faced the three-fold challenge of reforming the apartheid-divided institutional landscape of vocational education and training (VET) institutions; ensuring equitable access to skills; and reorienting its skills development system in line with the nation’s reinsertion...
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| Format: | Article |
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Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/poldev/1784 |
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| author | Lesley Powell Simon McGrath |
| author_facet | Lesley Powell Simon McGrath |
| author_sort | Lesley Powell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the late 1990s, South Africa faced the three-fold challenge of reforming the apartheid-divided institutional landscape of vocational education and training (VET) institutions; ensuring equitable access to skills; and reorienting its skills development system in line with the nation’s reinsertion into the global economy. A wave of institutional reforms was enacted which was followed by a large programme of evaluative research. While this body of work was both valuable and necessary, it nonetheless had several limitations. As part of efforts to overcome these, the authors suggest an alternative evaluation method that draws on insights from the ‘capability approach’. By putting the needs of people first – rather than the needs of the economy – the capability approach emphasises social justice, human rights and poverty alleviation in VET evaluation. This approach is more focused on the values and goals of individuals and institutions, while retaining the economic rationale as a key analytical tool and emphasising the continued importance of evaluation for the improvement of delivery and outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f379084b7dfc4f11bba5ed17d4c20aad |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1663-9375 1663-9391 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-11-01 |
| publisher | Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement |
| spelling | doaj-art-f379084b7dfc4f11bba5ed17d4c20aad2025-08-20T02:21:58ZengInstitut de Hautes Études Internationales et du DéveloppementRevue Internationale de Politique de Développement1663-93751663-93912014-11-01510.4000/poldev.1784Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South AfricaLesley PowellSimon McGrathIn the late 1990s, South Africa faced the three-fold challenge of reforming the apartheid-divided institutional landscape of vocational education and training (VET) institutions; ensuring equitable access to skills; and reorienting its skills development system in line with the nation’s reinsertion into the global economy. A wave of institutional reforms was enacted which was followed by a large programme of evaluative research. While this body of work was both valuable and necessary, it nonetheless had several limitations. As part of efforts to overcome these, the authors suggest an alternative evaluation method that draws on insights from the ‘capability approach’. By putting the needs of people first – rather than the needs of the economy – the capability approach emphasises social justice, human rights and poverty alleviation in VET evaluation. This approach is more focused on the values and goals of individuals and institutions, while retaining the economic rationale as a key analytical tool and emphasising the continued importance of evaluation for the improvement of delivery and outcomes.https://journals.openedition.org/poldev/1784civil societypovertyeducationvocational educationlabour markethuman rights |
| spellingShingle | Lesley Powell Simon McGrath Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa Revue Internationale de Politique de Développement civil society poverty education vocational education labour market human rights |
| title | Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa |
| title_full | Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa |
| title_short | Exploring the Value of the Capability Approach for Vocational Education and Training Evaluation: Reflections from South Africa |
| title_sort | exploring the value of the capability approach for vocational education and training evaluation reflections from south africa |
| topic | civil society poverty education vocational education labour market human rights |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/poldev/1784 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lesleypowell exploringthevalueofthecapabilityapproachforvocationaleducationandtrainingevaluationreflectionsfromsouthafrica AT simonmcgrath exploringthevalueofthecapabilityapproachforvocationaleducationandtrainingevaluationreflectionsfromsouthafrica |