Integrating Vocational Education and Training into Academic Secondary Schools: A Strategy for Promoting Educational Equity in Brazil

• In Event: Partnerships for transformative systems change

Proposal

This project focuses on enhancing equity in vocational education and training (VET) in Brazil by exploring transformative educational practices that successfully integrate K-12 and VET, offering students both educational advancement and employment opportunities. As VET expands into academic schools, this initiative identifies significant challenges, including the disconnect between K-12, VET, and labor institutions, as well as structural barriers hindering systematic reform. However, it also recognizes opportunities to learn from local successes to devise scalable solutions that address high dropout rates, facilitate job placements, and satisfy the demand for skilled labor. By employing a collaborative approach, the project engages a wide array of stakeholders at both local and national levels, ensuring inclusivity and impactful outcomes through participatory governance. The methodology combines mixed methods, incorporating both randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental methods and qualitative analysis. The research analyzes various successful local VET models, including curriculum development in collaboration with local actors and work institutions, pathways from secondary education to higher education, and apprenticeship programs. Ultimately, the project aims to create a novel VET policy and practice framework in Brazil, fostering equity, inclusivity, and preparing youth for diverse life paths by encouraging collaboration and transformative change without resorting to generic solutions.

Authors

• Rebecca Tarlau, Stanford University

• Maria Thereza Rios Hortencio, Stanford University