Vocational Teachers and In-Company Trainers in Mexico: Under-Trained and Under Pressure

Abstract

Mexico enjoys dynamic industrial growth and is seen as one of the world’s largest economic centers. Its demographic profile is favorable to this growth, with nearly one fifth of the population aged 15 to 24. Against this backdrop, vocational education and training (VET) is particularly relevant, yet it enjoys only low status in Mexico. Vocational training is considered an option only for those young people who cannot afford high university fees or who fail the university entrance examinations. Their peers prefer to enter the labor market immediately after finishing school, without “wasting time” on technical education of any kind. Meanwhile, companies complain of the inadequate quality of formal vocational schools, including the low level of qualifications held by teachers.