Albe z, Annabell; Pilz, Ma hias
A icle — Published Ve sion
G een Alignmen , G een Voca ional Educa ion and T aining, G een
Skills and Rela ed Subjec s: A Li e a u e Re iew on Ac o s, Con en s and
Regional Con ex s
In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
John Wiley & Sons
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Albe z, Annabell; Pilz, Ma hias (2025) : G een Alignmen , G een Voca ional
Educa ion and T aining, G een Skills and Rela ed Subjec s: A Li e a u e Re iew on Ac o s, Con en s
and Regional Con ex s, In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , ISSN 1468-2419, Wiley,
Hoboken, NJ, Vol. 29, Iss. 2, pp. 243-254,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/ij d.12359
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In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen
RESEARCH ARTICLE
G een Alignmen , G een Voca ional Educa ion and
T aining, G een Skills and Rela ed Subjec s: A Li e a u e
Re iew on Ac o s, Con en s and Regional Con ex s
Annabell Albe z | Ma hias Pilz
Chai o Business Educa ion and In e na ional VET Resea ch, Uni e si y o Cologne, Cologne, Ge many
Co espondence: Annabell Albe z ([email p o ec ed])
Recei ed: 16 Augus 2024 | Re ised: 5 Feb ua y 2025 | Accep ed: 7 Feb ua y 2025
Funding: The au ho s ecei ed no speci ic unding o his wo k.
discou se analysis | g een skills | g een VET | in e na ional o ganisa ions | policy | esea ch
ABSTRACT
This s udy conduc s an explo a o y and in eg a i e li e a u e e iew o in es iga e he discou se on a ious concep s and e ms
ela ed o he g een alignmen o oca ional educa ion and aining (VET). The s udy ocuses on he key ac o s se ing he
discou se, he con en wi hin i and he egional con ex s in which he discou se occu s. A e iew o 85 in e na ional publi-
ca ions e eals ha he discou se is p edominan ly shaped by he pe spec i es o policy and esea ch, wi h in e na ional
o ganisa ions playing a p ominen ole in he policy s and. While g een skills a e p ima ily associa ed wi h g een jobs in he
labou ma ke , g een VET encompasses he p ocess o g eening VET p o ide s. This discou se appea s o be especially p e alen
in he Asia‐Paci ic egion and in A ica. The esul s o he s udy p o ide policy and esea ch ac o s wi h a nuanced unde -
s anding o he discou se, enabling policy ac o s o in eg a e scien i ic insigh s mo e e ec i ely in o hei decision‐making
p ocesses and os e a mo e cons uc i e dialogue be ween policy and esea ch.
1 | In oduc ion
In an e a cha ac e ised by he clima e c isis and ongoing eco-
logical deg ada ion, he concep o a g een economy se es as
a guiding pa adigm o sus ainable economic de elopmen
esul ing in ‘imp o ed human well‐being and social equi y,
while signi ican ly educing en i onmen al isks and ecological
sca ci ies' (UNEP 2011, 2). The ansi ion o a g een economy is
a icula ed in se e al ag eemen s, including he Agenda 2030,
he Pa is Ag eemen and he Eu opean G een Deal. This an-
si ion has a no ewo hy impac on he wo ld o wo k and em-
ploymen , as indus ies and businesses inc easingly adop
sus ainable and g een solu ions (Auk o 2020). Consequen ly,
he demand o a skilled and en i onmen ally esponsible
wo k o ce, o en e e ed o as g een colla wo ke s, is
con inuously inc easing (UNEP e al. 2008). Acco ding o he
ILO (2024), he ansi ion o ene gy sus ainabili y alone could
c ea e mo e han 25 million new jobs wo ldwide. This numbe
does no accoun o he need o e ain and upskill wo ke s
whose exis ing jobs a e ei he ans o ming in o g eene jobs o
migh e en disappea . These changes ha e implica ions o
oca ional educa ion and aining (VET) sys ems globally as
hey p epa e indi iduals o he wo k o ce and de elop skills o
emain employable and esponsi e o he e ol ing needs o he
economy and socie y. Consequen ly, VET aces he impe a i e
o adop ing a mo e en i onmen ally sus ainable and g een
app oach, equipping lea ne s wi h essen ial g een skills.
Due o he inc easing ele ance and u gency o he wo ld o
wo k, socie y and indi iduals, his s udy ocuses on he dis-
cou se on he g een alignmen o VET. To ensu e an open and
unbiased analysis, his s udy in oduces he e m ‘g een
This is an open access a icle unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License, which pe mi s use, dis ibu ion and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly
ci ed.
© 2025 The Au ho (s). In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen published by B ian Towe s (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons L d.
243 o 265In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , 2025; 29:243–254
h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/ij d.12359
alignmen o VET’and in e p e s i in a gene al and b oad
manne . This gene ic e m encompasses a a ie y o app oaches
and concep s, including g een VET and g een skills. To da e,
he li e a u e on his opic emains ela i ely limi ed, wi h only
a small numbe o publica ions add essing he g een alignmen
o VET sys ems (Ramsa up e al. 2024). McG a h and Russon
(2023) e en indica e a eluc ance among esea che s o engage
wi h his opic, possibly due o he pe cep ion o ‘g een’as a
‘ loa ing signi ie ’(Ramsa up e al. 2024,6)o a‘hollowed‐ou
buzzwo d’(Fuchs 2024, 6).
In ligh o he p ac ical impo ance o he g een alignmen o VET
sys ems on he one hand and he exis ing esea ch gap on he
o he , his s udy unde akes a de ailed examina ion o he dis-
cou se. To his end, an explo a o y, in eg a i e li e a u e e iew is
conduc ed wi h he objec i e o syn hesising p e ious indings and
gene a ing new insigh s and pe spec i es on he discou se. The
s udyisguidedby h eeW‐ques ions: who is in ol ed in he dis-
cou se?; wha a e he con en s o he discou se?; whe e and in
which egional con ex s is he discou se occu ing? This app oach
acili a es a comp ehensi e iew o he discou se by examining he
ac o s—bo h g oups and indi iduals—who in luence and se i , he
ele an con en s i en ails, and i s egional embeddedness. In o he
s udies, discou ses ha e also been subjec ed o s uc u ed analyses
based on guiding ques ions. Fo ins ance, Ca es e al. (2021)con-
side ed he implemen a ion o VET e o msbys udyingdi e se
li e a u e sou ces ac oss a ious loca ions and de elopmen con-
ex s. Pilz and Zenne ‐Hö kes (2023) examined he a gumen s pu
o h by a ious aining policy ac o s ega ding oca ional ma u-
i y and employabili y, analysing how hese concep s ha e e ol ed
o e ime and whe he speci ic in e es g oups ha e domina ed he
deba e and in luenced i s de elopmen .
The ollowing sec ion ou lines he esea ch design employed in
he li e a u e e iew. The indings om he li e a u e e iew a e
p esen ed in he hi d sec ion. In he ou h sec ion, he ou -
comes a e syn hesised and discussed. The inal sec ion high-
ligh s limi a ions and iden i ies po en ial a eas o u he
esea ch in VET.
2 | Resea ch Design
The li e a u e e iew employs an in eg a i e app oach, which is
well‐sui ed o new, eme ging, and dynamic opics expe iencing
apid g ow h. This quali a i e in eg a i e me hod is sui able o
e iewing, c i iquing and pa icula ly syn hesising exis ing li -
e a u e in an in eg a ed manne , he eby o e ing new insigh s
and pe spec i es on a speci ic subjec (To aco 2005,2016).
Unlike sys ema ic li e a u e e iews, he syn hesis p ocess in
in eg a i e e iews ‘wea es he s eams o [li e a u e] oge he
o ocus on co e issues a he han me ely epo ing on p e ious
li e a u e’(To aco 2005, 362). The in eg a i e e iew can
be concep ually s uc u ed a ound heo ies, models o pe -
spec i es, and he li e a u e selec ion p ocess is lexible and
i e a i e. Ins ead o es ablishing igid inclusion and exclusion
c i e ia a he ou se , he li e a u e selec ion can be adjus ed as
he unde s anding o he opic deepens (To aco 2005,2016).
In con as , sys ema ic li e a u e e iews ypically ollow a
highly s uc u ed and p e‐de ined p ocedu e o iden i ying and
selec ing li e a u e answe ing speci ic esea ch ques ions, o
example on me hodological app oaches, s eng hs and limi a-
ions o he iden i ied li e a u e (e.g., Schwendimann e al. 2018;
Gessle and Sieme 2020; Toeppe e al. 2022). A sys ema ic
app oach may inad e en ly exclude ele an li e a u e ha
does no align wi h p ede ined sea ch pa ame e s, po en ially
limi ing he scope and pe spec i e o he e iew.
Gi en he explo a o y na u e o his s udy, an in eg a i e li e -
a u e e iew is an app op ia e app oach o examining he
discou se on he g een alignmen o VET as an eme ging opic.
The in eg a i e app oach, wi h i s b oade and mo e lexible
p ocedu e, acili a es he in eg a ion o di e se li e a u e om
a ious coun ies, p o iding a comp ehensi e and s a e‐o ‐ he‐
a o e iew, as in he case o Li and Pilz (2023).
The main sea ch was conduc ed om Decembe 2023 o June
2024 u ilising a sys ema ic keywo d sea ch wi h a se ies o
English keywo ds. The ollowing e ms we e employed in a
Boolean logic sea ch: AB (‘g een’OR ‘g eening’) AND AB
(‘app en iceship’OR ‘ oca ional educa ion’OR ‘ oca ional
aining’OR ‘ oca ional educa ion and aining’OR ‘VET’),
whe e AB deno es ha bo h e ms a e included in he sea ch
p ocess. Gi en he p oximi y and pa ial synonymy o he e ms
‘g een’and ‘sus ainable’, i would ha e been logical o include
bo h ‘sus ainabili y’and ‘sus ainable de elopmen ’in he
esea ch. Howe e , i was de e mined ha explo ing sus ain-
abili y and sus ainable de elopmen in combina ion wi h VET
was beyond he scope o his s udy.
The wo da abases selec ed o he sea ch we e Else ie 's Scopus
and Cla i a e's Web o Science. Bo h da abases ha e es ablished
guidelines o con en selec ion, including pee e iew p ocesses
o ensu e he inclusion o eliable, high‐quali y sou ces. The
sea ch in bo h da abases ocused on he p esence o speci ic
keywo ds wi hin he i le o abs ac o publica ions. Addi-
ionally, Google Schola was employed as a scien i ic sea ch
engine o li e a u e sea ches. In con as o Web o Science and
Scopus, he inclusion c i e ia a e no explici ly s a ed he e.
Howe e , Google Schola allows o he sea ch o g ey li e a-
u e, such as policy pape s and epo s om UNESCO‐
UNEVOC o ILO, which a e no lis ed in Scopus o Web o
Science. These ypes o publica ions we e also conside ed in he
li e a u e sea ch.
In addi ion o his sys ema ic sea ch s a egy, a snowball sam-
pling echnique was employed o iden i y ele an li e a u e
ci ed in p e iously selec ed documen s. Fo handbooks o
an hologies, his s a egy pe mi ed he examina ion o neigh-
bou ing chap e s o po en ial ele ance. The snowball s a egy
acili a ed he inclusion o addi ional li e a u e ha had no
been iden i ied in he ini ial sys ema ic da abase sea ch.
The inal selec ion o li e a u e was limi ed o English‐language
publica ions, ocusing on li e a u e published wi hin he las
14 yea s (2010–2024). Ne e heless, some highly ele an publi-
ca ions om ea lie pe iods we e also included, as hey p o ide a
ounda ion o he subsequen ongoing discou se. Following a
e iew o he i les, abs ac s and ull ex s, only hose publica ions
ocusing on a g een alignmen o VET we e included. This en-
compassed bo h scien i ic publica ions and g ey li e a u e. Fu -
he mo e, he e iew o he li e a u e e ealed nume ous
244 o 265 In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , 2025
scien i ic jou nal a icles on he discou se o igina ing om local
and less enowned jou nals o con e ences, which o en lack
in e na ional each and high epu a ions. The e o e, ca e was
aken o ensu e ha he selec ed scien i ic jou nal a icles had
unde gone a pee e iew p ocess and o igina ed om epu able
jou nals. This p o ided assu ance ha he publica ions included
in he li e a u e e iew a e o high quali y and widely dissemi-
na ed, allowing eade s o access he in eg a ed publica ions in
elec onic esea ch da abases.
The li e a u e e iew included a o al o 85 in e na ional publi-
ca ions (37 jou nal a icles, 2 an hologies, 1 monog aph, 10 book
chap e s, 13 policy pape s, 12 policy epo s, 2 websi es and 8
o he s such as b ochu es). The selec ed publica ions we e sub-
jec ed o hema ic analysis (B aun and Cla ke 2006), inco po a -
ing bo h deduc i e and induc i e elemen s (Fe eday and Mui ‐
Coch ane 2006). The guiding ques ions in oduced in he in o-
duc ion se ed as he main o ien a ion poin s o analysing he
li e a u e, speci ically ocusing on he ac o s in ol ed in he dis-
cou se, he con en s i en ails and he egional con ex s wi hin
which i occu s. The con en aspec o he analysis en ailed a
comp ehensi e examina ion o exis ing de ini ions, wi h he ini-
ial e e ence poin being he de ini ions p o ided by UNESCO‐
UNEVOC. These de ini ions se ed as a basis o he subsequen
analysis, which in ol ed he expansion o he de ini ion o en-
compass hose om o he in e na ional o ganisa ions. A simila
app oach was adop ed in he analysis o implemen a ion ap-
p oaches, which cons i u ed a u he componen o he con en
aspec . In addi ion, in acco dance wi h he induc i e p ocedu e o
be applied, o he aspec s o he ma e ial we e explo ed. The
esul s o he analysis can be ound in he ollowing sec ion.
3 | Findings
The e iew o he li e a u e e eals he exis ence o wo dis inc
s ands shaping he discou se on he g een alignmen o VET:
policy and esea ch. The policy discou se is p ima ily cons i-
u ed by in e na ional o ganisa ions and poli ical decision‐
make s ha o mula e policies and guidelines. In con as , he
esea ch discou se is p ima ily conce ned wi h in e na ional
esea ch on VET and is p edominan ly ep esen ed by schola s
who explo e heo e ical and empi ical ounda ions o he g een
alignmen o VET. Thus, wo ypical domains o discou se
analysis a e add essed.
The wo concep s o ‘g een VET’and ‘g een skills' a e pa icu-
la ly p e alen in he discou se on he g een alignmen o VET
ep esen ing i s key con en a eas. The ollowing sec ion p o-
ides a mo e de ailed examina ion o bo h concep s om each
o hese pe spec i es, in pa icula hei de ini ions and imple-
men a ion app oaches.
3.1 | G een VET
3.1.1 | The Policy Pe spec i e
A he policy le el, g een VET has eme ged as a amewo k
ha ancho s sus ainabili y and Educa ion o Sus ainable
De elopmen (ESD) wi hin VET. Du ing he Decade o ESD
(2004–2015), he ocus was on VET o sus ainable de elop-
men , emphasising i s ole as a ‘mas e key ha can alle ia e
po e y, p omo e peace, conse e he en i onmen , imp o e he
quali y o li e o all and help achie e sus ainable de elopmen ’
(UNESCO‐UNEVOC 2004, 1).
By 2010, he o me head o UNESCO‐UNEVOC, Majumda
(2010), iden i ied he g eening o VET
1
as an essen ial and
o e a ching heme o sus ainabili y, ad oca ing o adap ion o
VET ins i u ions and policies o suppo sus ainable p ac ices
while de ining g een jobs and skills. Majumda (2011) p oposed
a h ee‐ ie ed app oach o g eening VET, which in ol es
he o ma ion o global alliances among coun ies, hei
go e nmen s and o ganisa ions. Simul aneously, Majumda
(2010,2011) de eloped an implemen a ion model o g eening
VET ha ocuses on VET ins i u ions. The model includes i e
aspec s: g eening he campus, he cu iculum, he communi y
and wo kplace, he esea ch and he ins i u ional cul u e, along
wi h he de elopmen o eache s and aine s (UNESCO‐
UNEVOC and CEDEFOP 2024).
In 2012, he Thi d In e na ional Cong ess on VET unde lined a
dual ans o ma ion o VET aimed a mo ing VET p ac ices o-
wa d mo e inclusi e, democ a ic, socially and en i onmen ally
jus educa ional app oaches. The ‘[ad ance o ] he “g eening
VET”agenda owa ds low ca bon and clima e esilien g ow h
and de elopmen ’ o u u e VET policies and p ac ices was
highligh ed (UNESCO 2012, 7), as u he con e ences ha e
shown (e.g., Gleissne 2012;Kas up2013; So oniou 2015). The
concep has since e ol ed o encompass p e‐employmen educa-
ion and aining, wo kplace lea ning and u he aining wi h
he objec i e o achie ing economic, en i onmen al and social
sus ainabili y. G een VET p epa es indi iduals o g een jobs
and enables hem o become ac i e pa icipan s in a g een
economy and a sus ainable, clima e‐ esilien socie y (UNESCO‐
UNEVOC 2014). Mo eo e , g een VET in eg a es en ep eneu ial
lea ning, educa ion o sus ainable consump ion and li es yles
and li e skills educa ion (UNESCO 2013). UNESCO‐UNEVOC's
(2017) guide o g eening VET ins i u ions u he encou aged
awhole‐ins i u ion app oach, embedding sus ainabili y in o
knowledge, skills and ins i u ional p ac ices. Simila ly, he Eu -
opean T aining Founda ion (ETF) desc ibes g eening VET as a
g adual p ocess ha aligns aining wi h en i onmen al sus ain-
abili y, embedding g een skills ac oss policies, VET p og ammes,
cu icula and ins i u ional cul u es (Nielsen e al. 2023). Recen ly,
UNESCO (2022) has b oadened i s scope o g eening VET o
add ess ci cula economy, clima e ac ion and jus ansi ions.
The ILO (2022, 9) unde lines ha he g eening o VET is a
‘con inual jou ney, a he han a ip whe e he des ina ion is
quickly eached’. This is achie ed by equipping indi iduals wi h
he equisi e knowledge, skills and beha iou s o e ec ans-
o ma ion in wo kplaces and communi ies h ough li elong
lea ning. Consequen ly, he g eening o VET plays a pi o al ole
in ensu ing a ai and jus ansi ion. The ILO (2021,2022) o -
e s p ac ical guidelines o g eening VET implemen a ion,
dis inguishing be ween ‘ligh ’and ‘deep’g eening app oaches.
Ligh g eening o VET in ol es mino adjus men s o exis ing
cu icula, pa icula ly he addi ion o new echnical g een skills.
In con as , deep g eening o VET en ails a mo e subs an ial and
245 o 265
sys ema ic change, also in eg a ing inno a ion and digi alisa-
ion ac oss all cu icula and quali ica ions. This os e s c i ical
hinking, p oblem‐sol ing and adap abili y, empowe ing
lea ne s o ac i ely d i e he g een ansi ion. Subsequen ly, he
deep g eening o VET is a no ma i e change p ocess ha
equi es he adop ion o clea , holis ic, sys ema ic and me h-
odological app oaches ega ding sus ainable de elopmen
(ILO 2022). The In e agency Wo king G oup (IWG) on g eening
VET and skills de elopmen , consis ing o UNESCO‐UNEVOC,
UN, ILO, OECD, CEDEFOP, ETF and Asian De elopmen
Bank (ADB) join ly de eloped policy ecommenda ions o he
G20, s a ing ha g eening VET should be ancho ed in educa-
ion and sus ainabili y agendas (ILO e al. 2013).
A he na ional le el, Ge many's iMo e (2023) ini ia i e de ines
g een VET as he in eg a ion o en i onmen al and sus ain-
abili y p inciples in o VET p og ammes. The objec i e is o
acili a e he acquisi ion o en i onmen ally conscious ech-
nologies and p ac ices by lea ne s in de eloping coun ies. The
Vie namese Di ec o a e o VET (2018, 13) ames g een VET as
‘a ole model o eco‐ iendliness in he communi y’and as ‘a
us ed s a egic pa ne o sus ainable de elopmen in he
egion’.
3.1.2 | The Resea ch Pe spec i e
Exis ing esea ch lacks a ho ough de ini ion o g een VET.
Acedo (2014) ollows he de ini ions a policy le el, including
aining ac oss a ious s ages ha ocuses on sus ainabili y in
en i onmen al, economic and social aspec s, p epa ing in-
di iduals o g een jobs ha p omo e en i onmen al p ese a-
ion and imp o e social equi y and well‐being.
Resea ch unde sco es he impo ance o g een VET o sus-
ainable de elopmen . Dayue (2016) po ays g eening VET as a
bene icial measu e o ESD and o he ad ancemen o VET in
de eloping and de eloped coun ies. Baumga en and Kunz
(2016) a gue ha g een VET and ESD sha e he common goal o
sus ainabili y, deeming he dis inc ion be ween hem a i icial,
while Me inei (2013) conside s g een VET a subse o ESD.
Gonon (2022) iews g een VET as a s a egy o enhance VET's
appeal and o mode nise VET by add essing skill gaps o he
g een ansi ion.
Fo implemen a ion, esea che s o en e e ence Majumda 's
(2011) ins i u ional g eening amewo k. Beyond ha , Pa lo a
(2017) p esen s a amewo k o he g eening o o mal oca-
ional and p o essional educa ion a he ins i u ional le el,
highligh ing he con en , he pedagogy, he campus, ex a-
cu icula ac i i ies and links wi h he communi y o os e
en i onmen ally conscious a i udes. Fu he mo e, Pa lo a
(2016) iden i ies d i e s o g eening VET in he Asia‐Paci ic
egion, including in e na ional aining s anda ds, en i on-
men al egula ions and go e nmen al ini ia i es, wi h he
na ional con ex in luencing hei impac . She highligh s ha
policy coo dina ion and e o m a e pi o al o g een VET.
Lo z‐Sisi ka e al. (2024, 283) cha ac e ise he implemen a ion
o g een VET o da e as ‘la gely e o mis a he han ans-
o ma i e’, desc ibing i as ‘a genuine and posi i e se o
a emp s o in use en i onmen al conce ns in o a VET sys em’.
Cu en e o m app oaches in policy and p ac ice a e minimal
and may be cha ac e ised as ‘bol ‐ons' o exis ing VET s uc-
u es, such as cu icula, wi hou subs an ial changes (Ramsa up
e al. 2024, 12). P e ious measu es and ini ia i es ‘a e a less
adical han he ull ison o g eening VET imagined by
Majumda (2011)’(McG a h and Ramsa up 2024, 249). As a
esul , Ramsa up e al. (2024) a gue o mo e adical and
ans o ma i e ac ions ha ollow a poli ical‐economy‐ecology
app oach in he sense o a jus ansi ion, which goes beyond
me ely g eening VET.
3.2 | G een Skills
3.2.1 | The Policy Pe spec i e
A he policy le el, g een skills ha e eme ged wi hin he con ex
o he g een economy as a guiding p inciple o sus ainable
economic de elopmen ollowing he inancial c isis o 2008.
The ansi ion o a g een economy no only c ea es g een jobs
bu also necessi a es g een skills o e ec i ely ul il hese jobs
(UNEP e al. 2008).
De ini ions o g een skills a y ac oss di e en o ganisa ions.
Acco ding o he OECD (2010), g een skills a e con e ging
skills equi ed o adap p oduc s, se ices o wo k p ocesses
aimed a mi iga ing clima e change o adap ing o i s al eady‐
occu ing e ec s. The ILO (2011) e e s o skills necessa y o
g een jobs, no ing ha ‘ he e is li le consis ency in he mean-
ings assigned o [g een skills]. Some imes i is used o e e o
co e skills such as en i onmen al awa eness, some imes o
echnical skills ela ing di ec ly o he en i onmen , some imes
o skills in g een echnologies, some imes o skills o g een
sec o s o g een p ocesses' (ILO 2015, 34). Fo his eason, he
ILO (2015) uses he e m ‘skills o g een jobs', as i en-
compasses bo h co e and echnical skills o g een jobs. Simi-
la ly, CEDEFOP (2024) equa es g een skills wi h ‘skills o he
g een economy’,‘skills o g een jobs' o ‘skills o he g een
ansi ion’encompassing ‘knowledge, abili ies, alues and a i-
udes needed o li e, wo k and ac in economies and socie ies
seeking o educe he impac o human ac i i y on he en-
i onmen ’. A h ee‐ ie ed dis inc ion is made ega ding g een
skills: ans e sal skills p omo e en i onmen al awa eness and
sus ainable hinking and ac ion; speci ic g een skills ocus on
implemen ing s anda ds and p ocesses o p o ec ecosys ems;
and highly specialised g een skills pe ain o g een echnologies.
The OECD and CEDEFOP (2014) add ha g een skills a e
needed ac oss all sec o s and a all le els in he wo k o ce.
Acco ding o he Eu opean Commission (2022a) and ETF
(2021), g een skills e e o any skill, whe he echnical o
ans e sal, ha di ec ly o indi ec ly suppo s a ious dimen-
sions o he g een ansi ion. G een echnical skills le e age
scien i ic knowledge and abili ies o acili a e he g een ansi-
ion, while g een ans e sal skills include compe encies,
knowledge and skills ha shape mindse s and a i udes owa d
his ansi ion. Following his, he Eu opean Commission
(2022b) de eloped he ‘ESCO axonomy o g een skills', dis in-
guishing be ween g een skills, whi e skills and b own skills,
which include 381 skills, 185 knowledge concep s and i e
ans e sal skills being ele an o a g eene labou ma ke . The
246 o 265 In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , 2025
ans e sal skills a e o en e e ed o as sus ainabili y compe-
encies, li e skills o co e skills.
Repo s om in e na ional o ganisa ions highligh VET's ole in
implemen ing g een skills, s essing he impo ance o labou
ma ke o ien a ion, s akeholde in ol emen and coo dina ed
policies o add ess gaps such as cu icula, limi ed pa ne ships
and inadequa e skills o ecas ing (ILO 2011; CEDEFOP 2012).
Collabo a i e ecosys ems in ol ing VET p o ide s, employe s,
and esea ch ins i u ions a e i al o iden i ying needs and
in eg a ing inno a ion in o g een skill de elopmen (Eu opean
Commission 2022a). Despi e he g owing demand o g een
jobs, mos coun ies lack sys ema ic app oaches o de eloping
and implemen ing g een skills, o en elying on ad hoc mea-
su es and inancial incen i es. App en iceships and wo k‐based
lea ning a e ecognised as e ec i e o equipping indi iduals
wi h g een skills (CEDEFOP 2019; ILO 2019; CEDEFOP and
OECD 2022; Eu opean Commission e al. 2022). Public policies
emain c i ical o aligning skills supply wi h en i onmen al
egula ions and ma ke demands, necessi a ing be e coo di-
na ion and s uc u ed incen i es (OECD and CEDEFOP 2014;
ETF 2021).
3.2.2 | The Resea ch Pe spec i e
Mon ana i e al. (2023) iden i y an inc easing ocus on g een
skills esea ch, pa icula ly since 2012, wi h no able con ibu-
ions om de eloping coun ies such as China, Malaysia, India
and Sou h A ica. Acco ding o he au ho s, g een skills a e
p ima ily ela ed o he en i onmen and include ‘ echnical‐
scien i ic skills ela ed o he de elopmen o g een jobs, wi h-
ou o ge ing he impac hey ha e on o he dimensions o a
jus and inclusi e ansi ion’(Mon ana i e al. 2023, 19). This
connec ion o g een jobs is also shown by Lee (2013), who
desc ibes g een skills as he abili ies equi ed o pe o m en-
i onmen ally iendly wo k and p oduce new g een p oduc s.
In addi ion o echnical abili ies, g een skills include he abili y
o unde s and, lea n and inno a e low‐ca bon echnologies o
g een g ow h. B own (2015) in e p e s g een skills as hose
necessa y o g een jobs ha minimise esou ce use, educe
g eenhouse gas emissions, and p o ec he en i onmen .
Vona e al. (2015) also emphasise he in e dependence o g een
skills and g een jobs, indica ing ha he pe cep ion o g een
jobs in luences he de ini ion o g een skills. G een skills
include analy ical and echnical expe ise ela ed o he design,
p oduc ion, managemen and moni o ing o echnologies.
Bianchi (2020, 47) s a es ha ‘a he hea […] o g een skills is
echnology o achie e g een g ow h’. In line wi h his, g een
skills a e subjec ‐ ela ed and encompass science, echnology,
enginee ing and ma hema ics (STEM) skills, pa icula ly pe -
aining o highe quali ica ions o ad ances p o essions like
enginee s, especially in eme ging g een ields cha ac e ised by
complex asks and new echnologies (McG a h and Powell
2016; Lang hale e al. 2021).
Pa lo a (2017,2018) links g een skills o so skills such as
inno a ion, en ep eneu ship, coo dina ion, managemen and
business skills, as well as en i onmen al awa eness and a i-
udes. He ypology o g een skills includes, on he one hand,
addi ional quali ica ions o opping‐up skills o he g eening o
exis ing occupa ions, alongside speci ic echnological skills o
new o e ol ing g een p o essions. On he o he hand, he
ypology in eg a es gene ic g een skills, which consis o cog-
ni i e, in e pe sonal and in ape sonal skills ele an o all
wo ke s ac oss indus ies. These skills a e oo ed in a g een
mindse and a posi i e a i ude owa d sus ainable de elop-
men , emphasising g een awa eness and alues alongside g een
knowledge and skills. Pa lo a and Huang (2013) no e ha
al hough skilled wo ke s may possess g een skills, hey do no
necessa ily apply hem i hey lack a g een a i ude.
Kwauk and Casey (2022, 14) e e o he ‘b ead h o g een
skills', which includes speci ic skills o g een jobs, gene ic
g een li e skills ha suppo g eene ways o being, hinking
and ac ing, and ans o ma i e skills ha add ess sys emic
causes and indi idual ac ions exace ba ing he clima e c isis.
T ans o ma i e skills a e o en equa ed wi h sus ainabili y
compe ences. Bianchi (2020) highligh s he dis inc ion be ween
sus ainabili y compe ences and g een skills, no ing ha he
o me pe ains pa icula ly o educa ion, while he la e is
mo e closely associa ed wi h he applica ion o g een echnol-
ogies in employmen and he cu en and u u e labou o ce.
While g een skills may o e look he social aspec s o jobs,
sus ainabili y compe ences aim o p omo e li ing and wo king
in ha mony wi h socie y and he en i onmen . Thus, g een
skills exis on a con inuum, simila o g een jobs (Lang hale
e al. 2021; Ramsa up e al. 2024; Fuchs 2024).
Ramsa up and Mohamed a gue ha g een skills should ex end
beyond me e employabili y. McG a h and Powell (2016) c i i-
cise he insu icien comp ehensi eness o g een skills in policy
concep ualisa ions, ad oca ing o a mo e genuine app oach
ha con ibu es o he elimina ion o po e y, social inequali y
and injus ice, while os e ing heal hy wo king condi ions, pa -
icipa ion and empowe men . Fu he mo e, hey posi a need
o a mo e sys emic and comp ehensi e app oach o he
ans o ma ion o sus ainable VET a he policy le el, ex ending
beyond he concep o g een skills (Rosenbe g e al. 2019;
Owusu‐Agyeman and A yeh‐Adjei 2023; Ramsa up e al. 2024).
The implemen a ion o g een skills equi es in e na ional o -
ganisa ions and de elopmen agencies o p o ide inancial
assis ance and bes p ac ice models (Lang hale e al. 2021)as
well as policy guidelines and s a egies (Bianchi 2020). Resea ch
unde sco es he necessi y o de eloping in e na ional aining
s anda ds ha in eg a e g een skills, which encompasses he
es ablishmen o egion‐wide amewo ks, as exempli ied by
hose in he Associa ion o Sou heas Asian Na ions (ASEAN)
coun ies (Pa lo a 2019b).
Ano he c i ical poin e e s o he alignmen o g een skills
wi h en i onmen al and economic policies o e ec i ely
de elop hese skills (Rosenbe g e al. 2019). Pa lo a (2016)
ou lines he i al ole o go e nmen suppo in VET e o m,
policy coo dina ion and he ha monisa ion o ma ke equi e-
men s wi h g een skills in eg a ion. Owusu‐Agyeman and
A yeh‐Adjei (2023) ecommend ha go e nmen s p o ide su -
icien inancial esou ces and adop a p oac i e a he han
eac i e ole in de eloping g een skills h ough app op ia e
policies (Pa lo a 2018; Pa lo a and Aske ud 2023). Fo
247 o 265
ins ance, India's Skill Council o G een Jobs and simila in-
i ia i es in Ko ea, China and Aus alia indica e how go e n-
men al ac ions can acili a e he de elopmen o g een skills
ac oss sec o s (Fien and Gue a a 2013; Lee 2013; Dayue 2016;
Pa lo a 2019a; Chand aseka e al. 2023). The e ec i eness o
hese e o s o en depends on he exis ing VET sys em; coun-
ies like Ge many bene i om coo dina ed amewo ks, while
he UK aces challenges due o a lack o long‐ e m s a egy
(E ans and S oud 2016). Subsequen ly, he es ablishmen o a
obus VET sys em is conduci e o achie ing g een skills
(Jaege 2014). In addi ion, s onge collabo a ion be ween go -
e nmen and he p i a e sec o , s ic e egula ions and legal
amewo ks a e needed o p omo e g een skills, as no ed by
Pa lo a (2016) and Auk o (2020). Ne e heless, Pa lo a and
Singh (2022) illus a e ha many employe s a e awa e o
en i onmen al policies bu a e un amilia wi h he concep
o g een skills, pe cei ing i as a challenging endea ou o
de ine g een skills and hei associa ed equi emen s (Zolki li
e al. 2016). Beyond he o mal acqui ing o g een skills,
Baumga en and Kunz (2016) and Owusu‐Agyeman and A yeh‐
Adjei (2023) ad oca e o he lexible ecogni ion o non‐
o mally acqui ed g een skills, pa icula ly in sec o s such as
ag icul u e and manu ac u ing.
In egions like Hong Kong, India and Thailand, VET g adua es
o en lack p ac ical g een skills, o cing employe s o ely on sup-
plemen a y aining p og ammes (Maclean e al. 2013;Chinedu
and Wan‐Mohamed 2017; Maclean e al. 2018; Napa ho n 2021).
Con e sely, success ul pa ne ships, such as hose obse ed in
Hong Kong's ho el indus y, demons a e he ad an ages o col-
labo a ion be ween VET p o ide sanden e p ises(Pa lo a2019b).
Such collabo a ion ex ends beyond he indus y i sel , in ol ing
uni e si ies, esea ch cen es, NGOs and associa ions in local
coope a ion ne wo ks (Chinedu and Wan‐Mohamed 2017;
Pa lo a 2018;Owusu‐Agyeman and A yeh‐Adjei 2023; Pe sson
Thunq is e al.2023). Examples include Vie namese colleges
wo king wi h ag icul u al expe s and sec o ‐based cen es o
excellence (Shamzzuzoha e al. 2022;McG a handRusson2023).
These collabo a ions acili a e he de elopmen o ‘g een skills
ecosys ems' (Ma sden 2015), in eg a ing g een skills in o exis ing
p og ammes and c ea ing new ones (Rosenbe g e al. 2019).
Thus, cu iculum and examina ion eo ien a ion is c ucial
(Pa lo a 2019a). VET ins i u ions in Canada ha e p og essi ely
in eg a ed g een skills in o all p og ammes and cu icula (Knibb
and Paci 2016), linking g een skills wi h exis ing oca ional skills
(Chinedu and Wan‐Mohamed 2017;Manya iandMu sau2021). In
addi ion, eache aining is equally impo an . Sus ainabili y li -
e acy, g een skills amewo ks and compe ence models ha e been
p oposed o VET educa o s (Diep and Ha mann 2016;Kangand
Pa lo a 2019; Pa lo a and Chen 2019a;Chinedue al.2023).
Mo eo e , VET ins i u ions should adop g een p ac ices hem-
sel es, equi ing s ong leade ship and commi men om
bo h VET p incipals and HR depa men s in companies
(Napa ho n 2021). Jaganna han (2013) unde sco es he impo ance
o VET ins i u ions' lexibili y and adap abili y o espond o
changes b ough abou by g een g ow h. Public ins i u ions need
mo e au onomy and eedom o sel ‐manage so ha hey can plan
and ac locally (Lang hale e al. 2021).
Sack (2012) obse es ha while Aus alian app en ices possess
g een skills, hei applica ion in he wo kplace depends on he
employe . A gap exis s be ween he g een skills augh and
hose used in he wo kplace, wi h economic skills being mo e
p e alen . In China, he in eg a ion o g een echnologies in
VET imp o es employabili y and p oblem‐sol ing. Howe e ,
eache s equen ly lack he equisi e expe ise and ace obs a-
cles such as hea y wo kloads, ime cons ain s, i ele an
cou ses, lack o ma e ials, and insu icien ins i u ional suppo
(Pa lo a 2016; Li e al. 2023). Consequen ly, he eaching o
g een skills o en elies on eache s' own ini ia i es and ex e nal
wo kshops (Dayue 2016). I is a gued ha eaching me hods
should be mo e in e ac i e and ac i i y‐o ien ed o enhance he
de elopmen o g een skills (B own e al. 2013; Liu e al. 2019).
Digi al pla o ms and gami ica ion can u he engage s uden s
in g een opics (Zelin 2016). Pa lo a and Chen (2019b) p opose
a p oblem‐o ien ed, p ojec ‐based pedagogical amewo k ha
inco po a es eal‐li e lea ning oppo uni ies o de elop g een
skills. In his amewo k, assessmen s a e adap ed o include
p esen a ions and e lec i e lea ning.
4 | Syn hesis and Discussion
The ollowing sec ion p esen s a syn hesis and discussion o he
indings based on he h ee guiding ques ions o who shapes he
discou se on he g een alignmen o VET, wha a e he con en s
o he discou se and whe e and in which egional con ex s is he
discou se occu ing. Addi ionally, he e ol emen o he dis-
cou se o e ime is conside ed, add essing he W‐ques ion o
when. Figu e 1summa ises he main s a emen s ela ed o hese
ou W‐ques ions conce ning he discou se.
4.1 | Ac o s in he Discou se
The indings indica e ha he discou se on he g een alignmen
o VET is p ima ily cha ac e ised by he pe spec i es o policy
and esea ch. In e na ional o ganisa ions, in pa icula , play a
ole in he policy discou se s and. G een VET is mainly amed
and de ined by UNESCO‐UNEVOC as he g eening VET agenda
and a ious associa ed guidelines show. This ocus is jus i ied,
as UNESCO is one o he mos impo an in e na ional o ga-
nisa ions in he ield o educa ion, pa icula ly ega ding VET
h ough UNESCO‐UNEVOC. In gene al, UNESCO‐UNEVOC
iews VET holis ically, no me ely as a ool o employabili y
and economic g ow h, bu as ‘a p epa a ion o esponsible
ci izenship and an ins umen o p omo ing sus ainable
de elopmen ’(Hollande and Ma 2009, 43 .). G een skills, by
con as , a e cha ac e ised by o ganisa ions such as ILO and
OECD ocussing on he labou ma ke and CEDEFOP con-
cen a ing on oca ional aining. Addi ionally, he ILO and
OECD a e dedica ed o ensu ing app op ia e skills de elopmen
and economic e iciency, wi h CEDEFOP suppo ing aining
e o ms aimed a os e ing economic g ow h (Melnyk 2023).
O e all, he policy pe spec i e and he co esponding in e na-
ional o ganisa ions concen a e mo e on he discou se a he
sup ana ional‐and mac o‐le el o VET sys ems. Klassen (2024)
posi s ha in e na ional o ganisa ions de elop and se hei
own global VET agendas. Fo example, in addi ion o he
g eening o VET agenda, UNESCO‐UNEVOC p io i ises
248 o 265 In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , 2025
in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies in VET as a u -
he agenda (Sch öde 2020). Consequen ly, in e na ional o -
ganisa ions ocus hei agenda‐se ing on gene al and abs ac
concep s and opics ha ha e global ele ance. Despi e a sha ed
agenda, hese o ganisa ions may pu sue di e en app oaches
and pe spec i es (Vande ho en 2023).
In he esea ch discou se s and, i is no able ha a ew e-
sea che s ha e s ongly cha ac e ised he discou se, wi h g een
skills ecei ing mo e scien i ic a en ion han g een VET.
Unlike he policy s and, esea ch ends o add ess he meso‐
and mic o‐le els o a VET sys em. Among hese esea che s,
Ma ga i a Pa lo a s ands ou o he subs an ial body o sci-
en i ic pape s on g een skills om he Asia‐Paci ic egion.
Addi ionally, esea che s such as Simon McG a h and P esha
Ramsa up adop a pa icula ly c i ical s ance owa ds he dis-
cou se, challenging he concep s o g een VET and g een skills
and p oposing al e na i e app oaches. Some o he esea che s
ha e collabo a ed wi h in e na ional o ganisa ions such as
UNESCO and ETF, highligh ing he impo ance o collabo a-
ion be ween policy and esea ch, whe e bo h s ands can
bene i om mu ual lea ning and exchange (S one e al. 2001).
4.2 | Con en s o he Discou se
The concep s o g een VET and g een skills a e p ominen in
bo h s ands o discou se. Howe e , hese concep s a e some-
imes used in e changeably (e.g., McG a h and Ramsa up 2024,
248) and a e no en i ely dis inc . Ne e heless, hey di e in
ocus, which may be a ibu ed o he di e en in e na ional
o ganisa ions in ol ed in shaping hese concep s. G een VET
p ima ily e e s o he s a egy o making VET sys ems and
especially VET p o ide s g eene , while g een skills pe ain o
abili ies equi ed o employmen in g een jobs ha con ibu e
o a g een economy. This is why g een skills a e o en used
in e changeably wi h g een jobs. Thus, g een VET is iewed as
he sys emic d i e , p ocesso and ame o embedding
sus ainabili y in VET, while g een skills ep esen a componen
o g een VET. G een VET in ol es changes o an en i e VET
sys em, which can ange om mino adjus men s o mo e
comp ehensi e ans o ma ions. Consequen ly, he concep s a e
mu ually dependen and o e lap, al hough each ul ils a dis inc
pu pose in ad ancing sus ainabili y. The o ien a ions o he
concep s a e in e ela ed; a na owe ocus o g eening VET is
associa ed wi h echnical g een skills ha can be augh , o
example, in sho ‐ e m oca ional cou ses, while a b oade
app oach in ol es a sys ema ic shi owa d sus ainable de el-
opmen as a kind o men ali y o philosophy inco po a ing
gene ic and ans e sal g een skills. The e o e, al hough he
concep s o g een VET and g een skills a e ela ed, hey should
no be used as synonyms.
4.3 | Regional Con ex s o he Discou se
I is no ewo hy ha g een VET and g een skills a e pe cei ed as
ele an opics, pa icula ly in he Asia‐Paci ic egion and (Sou h)
A ica. F om he esea ch li e a u e e iewed in his s udy, 17 sci-
en i ic a icles and h ee books add ess he Asia‐Paci ic egion,
while se en scien i ic a icles and one book ocus on A ica and
mainly Sou h A ica. These indings align wi h hose epo ed by
Mon ana i e al. (2023). I should be no ed, howe e , ha he dis-
cou se is also being suppo ed in Eu opean coun ies by in e na-
ional o ganisa ions such as CEDEFOP. Ne e heless, he e iew o
he li e a u e e ealed a pauci y o scien i ic s udies om Eu opean
coun ies. This inding is in iguing as i con as s wi h he esul s o
o he discou se analyses, which ha e a di e en geog aphical ocus.
Fo example, in hei li e a u e e iew on VET e o m implemen-
a ion, Ca es e al. (2021) iden i ied ha he majo i y o scien i ic
s udies p ima ily ocus on Eu opean coun ies, wi h less a en ion
gi en o Asian, Oceanic and A ican coun ies.
This disc epancy may be a ibu ed o he p e alence o in-
s i u ionalised VET sys ems in ce ain coun ies, which has led
o he es ablishmen o dis inc discou ses. The in ol emen
FIGURE 1 | The discou se on he g een alignmen o VET.
249 o 265
and ele ance o in e na ional o ganisa ions in policy de elop-
men may be diminished he e, as na ional VET s uc u es a e
al eady well‐es ablished. Fo ins ance, he Ge man Fede al
Ins i u e o VET (BIBB) has been ac i e in p omo ing and
implemen ing sus ainable de elopmen in he Ge man VET
sys em (e.g., He mann e al. 2024). Consequen ly, changes in
he VET sys em a e being d i en na ionally, as shown by he
s anda d occupa ional p o ile in Ge many, which s ipula es ha
en i onmen al p o ec ion and sus ainabili y should be inco -
po a ed in o all oca ional aining p og ammes (GOVET 2020).
This sugges s ha coun ies wi h ins i u ionalised VET end o
p io i ise he ope a ional and p ac ical implemen a ion o he
discou se on he g een alignmen o VET, o ins ance, h ough
cu iculum e ision and adap a ion. Howe e , his o m o
implemen a ion is no e lec ed in he li e a u e sou ces ana-
lysed he e bu a he in speci ic cu icula and eaching ma e-
ials a he meso‐and mic o‐le el o a VET sys em in conc e e
eaching and lea ning p ocesses. In con as , coun ies, whe e
VET is no ex ensi ely ins i u ionalised, such as many in he
Asia‐Paci ic egion and A ica, may seek guidance om in e -
na ional o ganisa ions, hei global agendas and associa ed
policies. This could suppo he inco po a ion o hese elemen s
in o hei own policy amewo ks on he mac o‐le el. Conse-
quen ly, in e na ional o ganisa ions and hei global agendas
may exe a mo e dominan in luence on he de elopmen o
VET sys ems in hese egions ( o Asia‐Paci ic see e.g., UN-
ESCO 2015; Tsi onis 2023), po en ially shi ing he discou se
owa d he mac o‐and policy le el o a VET sys em a he han
he p ac ical implemen a ion le el.
4.4 | E ol emen o he Discou se O e Time
The li e a u e indica ed ha he discou se on g een skills began
o eme ge in 2010 and 2011 in esponse o buzz wo ds such as
‘g een economy’and ‘g een jobs'. The concep o a g een
economy a ose ollowing he global inancial c isis, d i en by
he inc easing p e alence o en i onmen al issues and he need
o economic g ow h ha is en i onmen ally sus ainable. The
o ma ion o g een VET occu ed simul aneously, es ablishing a
new agenda o VET in acco dance wi h UNESCO's ESD. G een
VET and g een skills we e p esen in he policy discou se om
2010 o a ound 2014 and hen saw a esu gence in in e es
beginning 2022. Resea ch on hese opics de eloped a he la e
compa ed o he policy discou se, gaining enewed ele ance in
ecen yea s, as a ious publica ions show.
Ini ially, he discou se su ounding bo h concep s was mo e
na owly ocused. While g een VET p ima ily concen a ed on
he g eening o VET p o ide s, g een skills we e limi ed o
echnical skills o speci ic occupa ions aimed a immedia e
employabili y wi hin a g een economy. O e ime, and in
esponse o c i iques om esea che s, hese na ow in e p e-
a ions ha e expanded. This is pa icula ly ue o g een skills,
which now encompass bo h gene ic g een skills, g een mindse s
and a i udes. T ans e sal g een skills ex end beyond immedi-
a e economic needs, inco po a ing mo al alues and sus ainable
p ac ices ha add ess deepe socie al and en i onmen al chal-
lenges, such as social jus ice and equali y. I is no ewo hy ha
in bo h s ands o discou se, his b oade scope is s ill p e-
dominan ly e e ed o as g een skills a he han g een
compe encies o g een compe ences. G een compe encies en-
compass g een knowledge, skills, abili ies, a i udes, beha iou s
and awa eness ela ed o sus ainabili y (Cab al and Dha 2020).
The e o e, i is essen ial o cla i y he scope in which g een
skills a e unde s ood.
Rega ding g een VET, he e is now a a ge ed emphasis on a
mo e comp ehensi e and ans o ma i e app oach in he con-
ex o a jus ansi ion (Ramsa up e al. 2024). Acco dingly, he
g eening o VET p o ide s is conside ed oo na ow; a p o-
ound, sys emic change is necessa y o challenge p e ailing
economic pa adigms and p omo e holis ic social changes
wi hin VET.
5 | Conclusion
This in eg a i e li e a u e e iew has p o ided an inno a i e
and aluable app oach o analysing he discou se on he g een
alignmen o VET. The p ima y ocus o he s udy was o
de e mine who shapes he discou se, wha con en i con ains
and whe e and in which egional con ex s i occu s. The ind-
ings e ealed ha bo h policy and esea ch play pi o al oles in
in luencing he discou se. The policy s and is p edominan ly
domina ed by in e na ional o ganisa ions whose global agenda‐
se ing impac s na ional VET sys ems, pa icula ly a he policy
le el. The con en o he discou se p edominan ly e ol es
a ound g een VET and g een skills, wi h a conside able numbe
o publica ions analysed in his li e a u e e iew o igina ing
om he Asia‐Paci ic egion and A ica. Addi ionally, he s udy
unde sco ed he e ol emen o he discou se o e ime, acing
i s shi om a na owe o a b oade scope.
The s udy makes a aluable con ibu ion o unde s anding he
di e gences be ween policy ac ions and scien i ic indings
(Oli e e al. 2019). The indings can assis policy ac o s in mo e
e ec i ely in eg a ing scien i ic insigh s om esea ch in o hei
decision‐making p ocesses and os e ing a mo e cons uc i e
dialogue be ween policy and esea ch. Fu he mo e, he ind-
ings can acili a e a nuanced unde s anding o he discou se and
i s cons i uen elemen s among bo h policy and esea ch ac o s.
Howe e , i is impo an o no e ha his li e a u e e iew does
no p o ide a comp ehensi e accoun o all cu en de elop-
men s in he discou se. The dynamic na u e o he concep s o
g een VET and skills, along wi h hei apid g ow h and he
cons an s eam o new li e a u e and indings, p esen s a
challenge in deli e ing a comple e o e iew o he exis ing li -
e a u e. Fu he mo e, he li e a u e e iew was limi ed o
publica ions in he English language. The e o e, i would be
bene icial o u u e esea ch o include li e a u e in o he
languages, such as Spanish, Manda in, Ge man and F ench.
Fu u e esea ch should also examine he explana o y pa e ns
o disc epancies and simila i ies be ween he wo discou se
s ands o policy and esea ch. Ano he a enue o explo a ion
would be o analyse he in luence o global ends, such as he
g eening o VET agenda, on na ional VET sys ems and hei
co esponding policies, wi h a coun y‐speci ic ocus. In his
con ex , u u e s udies may bene i om inco po a ing li e a u e
on p ac ice and implemen a ion o gain mo e de ailed insigh s
250 o 265 In e na ional Jou nal o T aining and De elopmen , 2025
