In Ghana, youth unemployment remains significant challenges, with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) emerging as a potential solution to equip young people with practical skills for the job market. However, the uptake of TVET programmes among Ghanaian youth remains low, particularly among females. This study therefore explores the determinants that influence TVET choices among Ghanaian youth, with the goal of informing policy development to enhance participation in vocational education. Applying an enhanced multinomial logistic regression (MLR) model, this research examines the influence of socio-economic, demographic, and attitudinal factors on career decisions. The enhanced model accounts for class imbalances in the dataset and improves classification accuracy, making it a robust tool for understanding the drivers behind TVET choices. A sample of 1600 Ghanaian youth engaged in vocational careers was used, ensuring diverse representation of the population. Key findings reveal that males are approximately three times more likely to choose TVET programs than females, despite females making up 50.13% of Ghana’s population. Specific determinants influencing TVET choices include financial constraints, parental influence, peer influence, teacher influence, self-motivation, and vocational limitations. In regions with limited vocational options, youth often pursue careers based on availability rather than preference, which highlights a gap in vocational opportunities. Parental and teacher influences were found to play a dominant role in steering youth towards specific careers. The study concludes with recommendations for policymakers, instructors, and stakeholders to increase the accessibility, relevance, and quality of TVET programmes to meet the socio-economic needs of Ghanaian youth.

As China’s urbanization process accelerates, it has become common for rural men to go out to work and women to stay at home. The implementation of China’s rural revitalization strategy is in dire need of a large amount of high-quality human capital, and education and training are an important way to improve human capital and empower left-behind women. Starting from the background of China’s rural revitalization, this study focuses on the education and training of rural left-behind women, a topic that has received less attention. Through in-depth interviews and participatory observation, we analyzed the factors affecting rural left-behind women’s participation in education and training, as well as the problems that exist in China’s rural education and training process, and proposed strategies to solve them. The study found that education level, traditional attitudes, economic income, knowledge of education and training, and mental health are important factors affecting the participation of left-behind women in education and training in rural China. At the same time, there are some problems in the process of education and training, such as a single main body of supply and training methods, a lack of teachers, and a lack of management, etc., which affect the development of education and training, and thus also the promotion of rural revitalization.

This study investigates the impact of various educational and social factors on the digital skills of vocational education and training (VET) students, emphasizing the significance of continuous skill development in the digital age. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the paper analyzes data from 382 adult VET students in Greece, examining the effects of Erasmus program participation, daily computer use, educational platforms, and social network engagement on digital competencies. The findings reveal that participation in Erasmus programs and the use of educational platforms significantly enhance students’ digital skills, highlighting the value of international experiences and digital learning tools in VET. Conversely, daily computer use alone does not significantly impact digital skills, suggesting that structured and purposeful digital tool integration is essential for skill development. The study also underscores the positive role of social networks in improving content management skills, advocating for their strategic use in educational settings. These results demonstrate the need for targeted digital literacy initiatives within VET programs to prepare students for modern labor market demands. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of digital skill acquisition and offers practical insights for educators and policymakers to enhance VET curricula, fostering economic and social progress through improved digital literacy.

The aim of this paper is to introduce a research project dedicated to identifying gaps in green skills by using the labor market intelligence. Labor Market Intelligence (LMI). The method is primarily descriptive and conceptual, as the authors of this paper intend to develop a theoretical background and justify the planned research using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. This research highlights the role of LMI as a tool for analysis of the green skills gaps and related imbalances. Due to the growing demand for eco-friendly solutions, there arises a need for the identification of green skills. As societies shift towards eco-friendly economic models, changes lead to emerging skill gaps. This study provides an alternative approach for identification of these gaps based on analysis of online job vacancies and online profiles of job seekers. These gaps are contextualized within roles that businesses find difficult to fill due to a lack of requisite green skills. The idea of skill intelligence is to blend various sources of information in order to overcome the information gap related to the identification of supply side factors, demand side factors and their interactions. The outcomes emphasize the urgency of policy interventions, especially in anticipating roles emerging from the green transition, necessitating educational reforms. As the green movement redefines the economy, proactive strategies to bridge green skill gaps are essential. This research offers a blueprint for policymakers and educators to bolster the workforce in readiness for a sustainable future. This article proposes a solution to the quantitative and qualitative mismatches in the green labor market.