The low standing of vocational education (VET) and the occupations it serves is emerging as a concern in countries with both advanced and developed industrial economies. This issue manifests itself differently across countries depending on the economic trajectory and where VET sits within their schooling or tertiary education systems. In most instances, however, there are significant consequences for engaging young people in VET provisions, and developing the kinds of skills that the economies in these countries need and, in the places, where they are needed. The standing of VET and the occupations it serves are perennial issues, so there is nothing wholly new here. Drawing on the contributions across the section of this volume, this chapter explores the aspirations and expections of young people, parents and familiars in countries with developed and developing economic bases, and the positioning of VET as a post-school option. Specifically, the relative status of VET, its attractiveness and educational outcomes are elaborated, accounting for diverse schooling and tertiary education systems. The contributions are summarised to identify ways in which societal sentiments about the forms of work that are seen as desirable their (mis-)alignment with aspirational generations of young people, and their current and emerging consequences are manifested. Amongst others, the consequences will be understood in terms of the growing struggles for countries to interest and engage young people in occupations that provide goods and services to communities, nationally and regionally. Included here are the ways that the quantum of skillful capacities required by societies are not being replaced and are becoming complex and demanding to learn. More young people are engaging on circuitous and lengthy tertiary educational journeys away from these occupations. Through a summary of the contributions, the perennial issue of the standing of VET and the occupations it serves, the extent of the concerns arising from an intensification of this issue are identified and elaborated as are their consequences for nation states and regions. In sum, this chapter offers a summary of the key issues that shape and sustain the relative low standing of VET and the occupations it serves. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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