Foreword: This special issue is dedicated to Dr Srabani Maitra, Professor of the Sociology of Adult and Vocational Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. She analysed the topic of Vocational Education and Training’s (VET) reputation in many discussions and was the driving force behind the development of this special issue. Unfortunately, Srabani passed away unexpectedly at the end of 2023, meaning she was unable to contribute to the special issue’s ongoing development. We will honour her legacy.
With massification of higher education, perceptions about VET as inferior to academic education remains entrenched in many countries despite large investments, reforms and promotion of VET. In many countries, VET is stigmatised as “options for low achievers or dropouts in the general education system” or “a second choice for youngster failing to pass into higher education” (Hao and Pilz, 2021). While attempts have been made to recognise the professional nature of VET and improve its image, the general attitudes towards vocational pathways are influenced by several factors such as poor learning environments, minor labour market relevance, low wages associated with VET qualifications, poor linkages with industry, low completion rates etc. which continue to relegate VET to an inferior status (Rintala and Nokelainen, 2020). Moreover, an inferior perception of VET pushes young people to increasingly prefer higher education to VET, including university programmes that may not always have direct employment outcomes and which can then possibly limit employment prospects upon graduation (Billett, 2014, 2020).
However, much of the literature highlighting good practices and factors influencing the image of VET remains in the context of the Global North (Aarkrog, 2020; Chankseliani et al., 2016), with limited empirical research on the status of VET in diverse settings of the Global South (Ajithkumar and Pilz, 2019). Additionally, the terms used and the concepts in the academic and political debate around VET reputation are elusive and sometimes even confusing. Up to now, no clear definitions concerning reputation, status attractiveness etc. in relation to VET are existing (Lasonen and Gordon, 2009). Moreover, it is also not empirically evidenced in the limited research in this area how young people from the Global South negotiate with this perceptual lack of reputation of VET (Maitra and Maitra, 2021).
Through this special issue, a comparative analysis of the factors behind the lower reputation of VET in the Global South can be given. The papers included addresses inside views on VET in Asia, Africa and Latin America to.
Analyse the social, economic and cultural contexts that might impact the reputation of VET across the Global South
Strategies to deal with such barriers and how to make VET more responsive to young people’s socio-economic well-being
Identify policies and practices that may help or have helped improve the attractiveness of vocational pathways in diverse contexts
The special issue includes nine papers:
The first article, which is designed as an overview article, provides an overview of existing definitions and understandings of terms in the range of topics. To this end, the author Pliz (2025) analyses the international literature on the subject and, building on this, develops a conceptual framework to classify the various approaches and make them more accessible to readers.
The journey around the world then begins with a contribution focussing on Brazil. Annen et al. (2025) analyse the social role of the Federal Institutes (FIs) in Brazil’s VET system, emphasising their impact on workforce development, social mobility, and regional growth. Despite the importance of VET, societal undervaluation affects enrolment and institutional effectiveness. The research investigates FIs potential to enhance accessibility, inclusion, and regional development based on academic and administrative staff perspectives.
In the following contribution Bravo and Escárate (2025) examine ideas and material circumstances behind the policy objective to enhance the perceived value of VET in Chile through a communication campaign and how this campaign addresses this objective. The findings show that the problematisation of VET’s perceived value is rooted in the system’s development history and cultural ideas.
The next papers will then focus on the situation on the African continent. Harris (2025) explores the attractiveness of VET in Sierra Leone. Her paper aims to unpack structural factors which contribute to the low repute of VET. The findings express beside others especially the low prioritisation of VET by the national government in terms of policy focus, budgetary allocations, and provision of training facilities and also the proliferation and continuation of a post-war style of VET programmes by development partners.
The following article then sheds light on the situation in Ghana. Ansah et al. (2025) investigate the level of Ghanaian youth’s interest in VET certification courses, by using career outcome expectations and demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and educational attainment. The quantitative approach expresses how demographic characteristics and career outcome expectations converge to influence young people’s interest in VET in a non-Western context.
Owusu-Agyeman et al. (2025) also analyse the situation in Ghana. However, they are focussing on teachers. Their study examines the perceptions of VET teachers about the factors that influence the reputation in the country. The results of the quantitative study express the teachers' perceptions regarding the factors influencing the reputation of VET in Ghana include beside other factors the investment in infrastructure and learning resources, collaboration between VET institutions and industries and public perceptions of VET prospects.
The following paper analyses how family, society, and school support influence these perceptions and reputations within VET programs. Rehman et al. (2025) focus on Pakistan in a quantitative study. The study indicates that family and societal influences significantly shape students' perceptions, confirming their pivotal role in enhancing the reputation of these programs. School support also emerged as a critical factor, significantly impacting students' perceptions but not directly influencing the programs' reputation.
Shimu and Haolade (2025) then investigate the situation in Bangladesh. Focusing on the significant challenges faced by VET despite its substantial enrolment at the secondary level, the study investigates the root factors responsible for the prevalent negative perception surrounding VET. The study includes the outcome of face-to-face interviews with VET teachers. The study reveals challenges undermining the societal perception and efficacy. These encompass issues such as inadequate salary structures in private sectors, the absence of defined career paths and entrenched social stigmas.
The final paper addresses the case of China. Hao et al. (2025) examine students’ educational choices in VET to understand the low reputation of vocational education in China. By analysing the individualisation of these choices within structural and individual relationships, the study explores how the decline of state endorsement and the shift towards rational, individualistic actions influence students' decisions.
Summarising the various contributions reveals that the different stakeholders have a significant impact on the extend and scope of VET’s reputation in countries in the Global South. In some respects, there are even parallels in the arguments with those from the Global North, as the individual contributions demonstrate. Overall, it can be concluded that VET tends to be less highly regarded in countries of the Global South than academic education. At the same time, the contributions also highlight the existing confusion surrounding terminology and the lack of clarity in definitions used in national discourse.
As the findings of international comparative VET and VET transfer research show, it is only possible to derive specific identities between countries to a very limited extent (Pilz and Li, 2020; Li and Pilz, 2023). This is because respective training cultures and national framework conditions differ so greatly that generalisation is difficult (Pilz, 2009, 2016).
Nevertheless, it can be concluded that the majority of the contributions summarised here certainly reveal interesting, country-specific perspectives on how to enhance the reputation of VET in the long term. In this sense, this special issue provides readers with scientifically based insights into the situation in various Global South countries, as well as highlighting some interesting country-specific approaches to improving VET’s reputation.
