An alternative technical education system : a case study of Mexico

Many developing countries have relied on the varied forms of diversified secondary technical education as the main venue for training skilled workers and mid-level technicians. But there have been numerous and strong critics against this mode of technical education. As an alternative, the Mexican government established the CONALEP system (el Colegio National de Educacion Profesional Tecnica), a new vocational and technical education system) in the late 1970's. This report tests the viability of the system by evaluating CONALEP graduates'labor market performance in comparison with other forms of education. It also supplements the scant literature on the transition from technical education to work and on the use of technical skills. Although it is a Mexican program, the special features of the CONALEP system bear policy implications for other countries as well. With globalization and the rapidly changing technology requirements of the Mexican economy, however, this alternative form of technical secondary education faces new challenges, notably adjustment of its curriculum to changing market circumstances and improvement of its external and internal efficiency.