SESRIC and the International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO-UNEVOC) convened virtually to discuss and explore potential collaborations and joint initiatives. The meeting between the two institutions focused on feasible partnership for capacity building activities, especially for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in all possible sectors.

During the meeting, Dr. Nenden Octavarulia SHANTY, Director of Training and Technical Cooperation Department of SESRIC, outlined SESRIC’s role as the OIC’s subsidiary organ, covering 57 OIC countries. She informed UNESCO-UNEVOC colleagues that SESRIC has more than 20 capacity-building programmes as well as the Vocational Education and Training Programme for the Member Countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-VET) across various sectors such as social development (SD-CaB), disaster risk management (DRM-CaB), poverty alleviation (PA-CaB), environment (Environment-CaB), occupational safety and health (OSH-CaB).

Acknowledging the significant role of SESRIC and UNESCO-UNEVOC in facilitating the transfer and exchange of knowledge, know-how and experience among their member countries, Dr. SHANTY extended an invitation to the UNESCO-UNEVOC representatives to contribute to the upcoming Webinar on “Vocational Education in Business and Industry” which will be held on 2 July 2024. This initiative may create a window of opportunity for future collaborations between the two institutions.

In turn, Dr. Oliviere PIEUME, Chief of the Technical Cooperation Unit and Head of the UNEVOC Network Secretariat, welcomed the invitation to take part in the upcoming webinar as well as the intention to collaborate in enhancing TVET systems. He expressed the interest in the work and contribution of SESRIC as one of the prominent organs of the OIC given the similarity between the institution in facilitating trainings and capacity building activities.

SESRIC and UNESCO-UNEVOC shared a common view to strengthen and upgrade the TVET systems in order to achieve the access for all, high quality, relevant and effective programmes and lifelong learning opportunities. Thereby, making an important step towards leveraging the collective expertise and resources is the common objective to be achieved between the two institutions throughout the meeting.