A closer look at VET education through the lenses of sustainable development goals

Abstract

This paper aims to study the perceptions of Vocational Education and Training (VET) students and VET teachers about the image of vocational education in Portugal and the contributions of VET to the achievement of the goals set in the 2030 Agenda. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted in Portugal in 2020 with a sample of 5 former VET students and 12 VET teachers. The objective was for participants to provide their views, experiences, and opinions on the inclusiveness and quality of VET education at the secondary level and how it may contribute to students’ lifelong opportunities, employability, and social inequality reduction. Various perspectives were offered, including divergent views between teachers and students. Topics such as equity, stigma, social status, employability and empowerment resulting from professional recognition, namely due to continuing studies at a higher level, were also discussed. Overall, this study provides valuable insights on the possible roles of VET in what concerns the 2030 Agenda, demonstrating that this topic deserves urgent attention from researchers.