TVETipedia Glossary

Informal TVET

Informal TVET takes place in unstructured environments, such as online platforms, mentorships and community-driven learning with local artisans. This approach is highly adaptable, emphasizing experiential and peer-to-peer learning that suits the needs of diverse learners.

Source:
UNESCO-UNEVOC, Inclusion in TVET. A practical guide for formal, non-formal and informal TVET institutions, 2025
UNESCO-UNEVOC, Inclusion in TVET. A practical guide for formal, non-formal and informal TVET institutions, 2025
Access resource, available in English
In a world striving for equity and inclusivity, "Inclusion in TVET: A Practical
Guide" stands as a beacon for formal, non-formal and informal TVET institutions.
Commissioned by teh UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET, this
comprehensive guide offers actionable strategies to build inclusive educational
environments that cater to the diverse needs of all learners.
With contributions from global experts and insights from pilot programmes
across various countries, this guide delves into the principles of inclusive TVET,
identifying barriers to access, participation and completion. It provides a
roadmap for assessing and enhancing inclusiveness, integrating social protection
systems and fostering operational partnerships.
Whether you are an educator, policymaker or stakeholder, this guide equips you
with the tools to transform TVET institutions into inclusive spaces where every
learner can thrive. Join the movement towards inclusive education and be part
of a global effort to ensure no one is left behind.

Informal TVET is principally the domain of learning-by-doing skills acquisition. Experience derived from practicing a trade or by working with others can lead to the acquisition of skills that increase the productivity of the person learning and therefore, presumably, their well-being. This form of learning is common in the world of work, especially in entry level jobs and low-skilled work, where the necessary knowledge to carry out tasks is not complex. This form of TVET is extremely difficult to evaluate and nearly impossible to quantify.

Source:
M. Hanni, 2019, Financing of education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Latin America and the Caribbean, Macroeconomics of Development series , No. 200