INTRODUCTION

A lot of countries are still less developed and still developing hence development studies is
essential to bring different perspectives and theories to the table that can be applied to the
enhancement of the lives of citizens and nations. Development is about growth and helping to
grow different aspects as they create further growth. It is vital in society as it affects every
aspect in everyday life. The lack of development affects the economy. This essay will discuss
the relevance of Development Studies in Technical and Vocational Education.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

DEVELOPMENT

According to TODARO (1981) refers to development as a multi-dimensional process

involving the reorganization and reorientation of the entire economic and social systems.

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Development Studies is a multi- and inter-disciplinary field of study that seeks to understand
social, economic, political, technological and cultural aspects of societal change, particularly
in developing countries Bonn (2005).

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

According to the definition by UNESCO and the International Labor Organization. (ILO),

TVET, technical and vocational education is a term used comprehensively to refer to the
educational process to which involves, in addition to general education, the study of
technologies and related sciences, skills and knowledge relating to occupations in various
sectors of economic and social life.

BODY

The relevance of Development Studies in Technical and Vocational Education include:

Human development

Understanding human development can help better understand one’s life experiences and life
course. It can foster enhanced self-understanding and personal growth. Beneficial societal
change is possible and individuals and groups can change social institutions and policies for
the better. The study of developmental psychology is essential to understanding how humans
learn, mature and adapt. Throughout their lives, humans go through various stages of
development. Developmental psychologists study how people grow, develop and adapt at
different life stages. However, the main purpose of studying human development in education
is to educate individuals within society, to prepare and qualify them for work in economy as
well as to integrate people into society and teach them values and morals of society. Role of
education is means of socializing individuals and to keep society smoothing and remain
stable.

Economic development

Education provides a foundation for development, the groundwork on which much of our
economic and social well being is built. It is the key to increasing economic efficiency and
social consistency. By increasing the value and efficiency of labour, it helps to raise the poor
from poverty. In general, education as a critical component of a country’s human capital
increases the efficiency of each individual worker and helps economies to move up the value
chain beyond manual tasks or simple production processes WEF (2016). Human capital has
long been considered the most distinctive feature of the economic system and further work
has proven the impact of education on productivity growth empirically.

Tackling and understanding global issues

Murphy (2016) assets that through development studies, students are prepared to tackle
global challenges, he argues that Development studies programs combine rigorous academic
study with practical skills. Students learn the importance of bridging the gap between policy
and practice, where knowing how to write a persuasive proposal or budget plan is just as
essential as understanding theoretical concepts such as the drivers of poverty, globalization,
or economic sustainability. In essence, one can further substantiate that, part of any
development professional's skill set is the ability to engage with many different stakeholders,
ranging from international governments, local community leaders, academics, and the general
public. Such socio- economic versatility is driven into students through having development
studies as one of the most relevant subjects in technical and vocational education.

Additional skills set

Development studies has proven to be of paramount importance to Technicala Vocational

Education in that it give a boost to the students' skills set. Additional skills are gained and
some of these include:

-Independent thinking and critical evaluation

-Analytical skills such as collecting and interpreting data

-An understanding of different cultures and religions

These additional skills give the students a clear cut insight of how the world operates and as
such they must be ready to adopt and adapt to challenges they will face in the real world
outside their school set up

Conclusion

One can conclude that, development studies is is of paramount importance in Technical

Vocational Education because it evidently allows the student to have a global mindset when
approaching problems. This wideng of scope of operations is critical for students as they are
prepared through development studies to adapt and adopt to any challenges they might face
aftr graduating. It is a course that set the tone to a practical understanding of the world order
in may spheres. Students through development studies get to appreciate that the world is a
stage and one with a host of surprises some of which they might not have envisages as they
chose the various fields of study that they have taken up for study. One can also surmise by
stating that development studies is an eye opener into the political scope of things that affect
our day to day lives as professionals in our different fields, thus development studies is
indeed relevant to Technical Vocational Education.

REFERENCES

Ashley Murphy (2016) keystone master studies, why study development studies.
https://www.masterstudies.com/article/why-study-development-studies/

Vision Paper presented at the EADI General Conference (Bonn 21-23 September 2005)
Bonn/Brighton/Geneva/The Hague October
2005https://www.eadi.org/typo3/fileadmin/Accreditation/Documents/EADI_Vision_paper_fi
nal.pdf
Todaro, M. (1981). Economic Development in the Third World (2nd ed.). New York:
Longman.

UNESCO and the International Labor Organization. (ILO), TVET

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