Vision 2030 and reducing the stigma of vocational and technical training among Saudi Arabian students

Abstract

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) plays a critical role in developing essential labor market skills. In Saudi Arabia, participation in TVET has traditionally been stigmatized in favor of white-collar jobs. However, the importance of skilled labor has increased in Saudi Arabia’s private sector as the country’s Vision 2030 focuses on moving the economy from oil to investment. This quantitative study investigates the role of recent socio-economic transformations in changing attitudes toward TVET. Statistical analysis of a questionnaire distributed to 1007 TVET students identified a significant relationship between perceptions of TVET and gender, family income, and parental educational level.