The weakness of vocational and technical education in the Islamic world is not a simple phenomenon that can be resolved by formulating an idea or making a high-level decision. It is a highly complex issue, connected to various intellectual, psychological, social, and economic aspects. Today, a man’s profession and specialization hold a place similar to that once held by his lineage.

Therefore, advancing vocational education requires a set of composite solutions and progress across many fields. In the following pages, we highlight what we consider most important through the following points:

1. Adding a Cultural Touch:

Imagination, abstraction, theorizing, and broad cultural knowledge have profound impacts on individuals, and non-vocational education enjoys a significant advantage in these areas. Major universities that offer theoretical sciences have contributed to this. Moreover, in the Arab world at least, prestige and media recognition usually belong to “academics” rather than technicians or skilled workers.

Alongside this, there is a prevailing stereotype about vocational workers and their level of knowledge — that they rely mostly on physical effort, have limited academic knowledge, and possess a narrow worldview, possibly lacking refinement and social sensitivity. Whether accurate or not, this image needs to change if we want vocational education to become more appealing.

Much can be done in this regard, such as introducing courses with cultural and humanistic content — for example, a course that explains the history of a profession, the stages it has gone through, anecdotes, poetry, and proverbs related to it. Another course could highlight the future prospects of the profession, the requirements for its growth, its economic potential, its interdependence with other professions, as well as the unemployment rate and obstacles to its development.

It is also useful to introduce a course that explains the ethical and human dimensions of technology in general — especially biotechnology and genetic engineering — to provide awareness about responsible use of technology and its psychological, social, and economic impacts.

Such courses will broaden the horizons of vocational and technical students, giving them cultural and moral awareness needed to participate in and engage with public life. Our mission is not just to prepare a skilled worker but to shape a responsible individual who contributes positively to society.

2. Early Exposure to Manual Work:

God Almighty created our hands to work for the benefit of humanity. Using them extensively in various aspects of life helps foster an appreciation for vocational work.

This should start at home. Every household should have a basic tool kit to fix minor issues in home equipment. It is not appropriate to depend on others for tasks one can easily handle. When children see their parents handling practical tasks, they will not hesitate to consider vocational education in the future.

Elementary education should not be isolated from practical applications. We must instill a love for manual work in students while discovering their vocational talents. Therefore, it is important to have lessons for simple woodworking and metalworking, which can be achieved by equipping elementary schools with small workshops and materials. Field trips to farms, factories, and workshops will also help.

The Jewish community has faced a similar aversion to manual labor. As (Gordon), the founder of the "Religion of Labor" philosophy, says:

"We Jews have adapted to every form of life except for the life of labor, which is an essential part of national life. A tendency to despise manual labor has grown among us."

This is reflected in a well-known Talmudic saying:

"When Jews fulfill God’s will, others will perform their labor for them."

Additionally, their long history of diaspora caused them to lose their connection with the land, and they mostly practiced trade. As a result, the first Jewish secondary school in occupied Palestine was an agricultural high school. Their elementary schools also include many practical lessons.

Through such efforts, they succeeded in changing their children’s perception of vocational and technical education to the extent that their state in occupied Palestine is now classified among the advanced industrial nations, with an economy comparable to that of small European countries like the Netherlands or Belgium.

School textbooks must support this approach. Stories, examples, and illustrations should emphasize the value of manual work, highlighting successful examples and showing its importance in modern life.

3. Transparency About the Labor Market:

Many young people avoid vocational education because they see skilled workers suffering from unemployment and poor living conditions. This is mainly due to weak development planning and a lack of information about labor market trends.

Often, there is insufficient data about market needs and future prospects, which leaves many vocational graduates shocked when they find large numbers of their peers unemployed.

Vocational institutes must stay aware of market demands, offering short, specialized programs to prepare students for rapidly changing economic conditions and shifting demands for specific skills.

Moreover, vocational curricula should be designed to develop professional flexibility, enabling students to shift from one trade to another as development and urban life demand. The rapid evolution of technological products requires equivalent social and occupational mobility and continuous training. Otherwise, the waves of scientific and industrial advancement could push large numbers of technicians and workers out of the labor market as their specializations become obsolete.

4. Simplifying and Popularizing Vocational Knowledge:

Any system or institution that isolates itself from society limits its own effectiveness. To ensure vocational and technical education thrives, it must be made accessible to the public, fostering awareness of its value and encouraging young people to pursue it.

This requires several efforts, including the following:

A. Professional associations must take responsibility by introducing their trades to the public and advocating for their rights. It would be helpful if each profession issued a monthly magazine, newsletter, or series of small booklets highlighting its history, growth trends, aesthetic aspects, and providing simple training tips that allow ordinary citizens to develop basic related skills. Exhibiting locally made tools and organizing permanent or traveling exhibitions can also raise awareness.

B. Media outlets bear a significant responsibility in supporting vocational education. They can host interviews with skilled workers, dedicate TV and radio segments to their stories, and publish newspaper columns or supplements to highlight their work.

The goal of these efforts is not only to benefit vocational workers but also to serve society, which must learn to manage its own needs and create employment opportunities for its youth.

5. Addressing the High Cost of Vocational Education:

Vocational education, as mentioned earlier, is expensive. Most governments in the Islamic world are preoccupied with building new schools for growing populations and eradicating illiteracy. When faced with the choice between funding a vocational school or an elementary school, the latter often takes priority.

Vocational education cannot develop without social and governmental support — through increased budgets and by shifting from an economy based on trade and imports to one focused on local industries, no matter how modest at first. This can only be achieved as part of an ambitious, comprehensive development plan.

Additionally, many philanthropists spend large amounts on feeding the poor, treating the sick, and fulfilling immediate needs. While this is necessary and must continue, experience shows that such aid often encourages dependency and laziness. Furthermore, available funds cannot solve poverty in a sustainable way.

Therefore, at least 25% of charitable funds should be allocated to establishing training centers and workshops to teach trades to those who are unemployed or were unable to learn a profession due to difficult circumstances. This would transform their lives, turning them from people who wait for handouts into productive workers. As the Chinese proverb says:

“If you give me a fish, you feed me for a day; but if you teach me how to fish, you feed me for a lifetime.”