Vocational and Technical Education: Seeing Through the Eye-View of Globalization

Abstract

This paper seeks to define the concepts of vocational and technical education through the eye-view of
globalization. Globalization as a concept has different shades of meaning as varied as the authors or
writers posit. On one continuum globalization is portrayed as the process of increasing inter connectivity
between societies such that events in one part of the world more and more have effects on peoples and
societies far away. On the other continuum, globalization is equated with internationalization whereby
cross-border relations between countries are described. Other shades of meaning used to describe
globalization include: liberalization, universalization, westernization or modernization and
deterritorialization. Having ex-rayed the concept of globalization, the paper seeks to examine vocational
and technical education globally as it relates to other countries of the world. The concepts of vocational
and technical education modus operadi in various countries of the world and their comparative standards
were delved into. Concluding remarks stated that vocational and technical education whether in Hong
Kong, Sweden or United States of America principally deals with the acquisition of skills. The paper
recommends that the concept of globalization should be used to view each country’s understanding of
vocational and technical education, hence, eliminating conceptual barriers.