Skills Development 

Technology-enhanced, flexible and blended approaches to technical and vocational skills development (TVSD) can contribute to improvements in access, gender, quality and efficiency indicators. Experience of using these approaches is not widespread in institutions and Ministries in Commonwealth countries.

The Skills Development Initiative focuses on promoting new ODL models, policy development, capacity building and learning materials.

• An enabling policy environment and robust strategic planning is critical to the successful implementation of flexible approaches in formal TVET programmes. COL supports strategic planning and policy development at national and institutional level.
• To assist skills development professionals learn about, and use, new technology enhanced approaches, policy makers, managers and teachers are offered a range of capacity building activities to support integration of technology and flexible delivery mechanisms. 
• COL helps institutions and ministries to define and contextualise effective models of flexible skills development. Teachers, managers and policy makers better understand how educational media and technology can be used effectively.
• Skills development materials made available under Creative Commons licenses can assist in rapid course development and quality improvements in resource-poor contexts. COL supports the development of new learning materials and repurposing of OERs in technical and vocational subjects.

COL is currently engaged with:

1. Flexible Skills Development in Africa
2. Non-formal skills development in Asia
3. Open and Flexible TVET in the Pacific
4. Non formal skills development and TVET teacher training in the Caribbean
5. Development of distance learning materials for:
• Nurse education
• Educational media and technology for TVET