Vocational Education and Training in South Koreas Catching up Period: a Role Model to Guatemala

Abstract

The present thesis analyses the Vocational Education and Training in South Korean during their transition to an advanced economy and how relevant was the system to their economic growth. The main objective of this thesis is to distinguish Guatemala‟s current vocational education situation and also to learn from the South Korean successful vocational education case study. The youth unemployment levels in Guatemala are currently really high, based on this study I try to offer an alternative to reduce the unemployment levels by encouraging the Guatemalan government to target the implementation of a vocational education system in the country; with this Guatemala can change the current difficulties in job market and generate more interest in the youth population towards vocational training and job search. Thus, the study focuses on the vocational education and training system of South Korea over the past years, the government role, the policies implemented and the outcomes of such policies. Finally after reviewing case studies and determine the most significant practices made by the Korean government, several policy recommendations are provided for the improvement of the Guatemalan vocational education and training. With this study I expect to lend a hand to Guatemala‟s economic growth process and tomake consciousness that the youth labor force has to be seen as a national priority in order to aid the country to achieve an economical development. Key words: South Korea, Guatemala, Vocational education and training, economic growth, unemployment ratio, illiteracy, policy, labor force, human capital, up skill.