To impressionable young South Africans, the mere idea of putting on an overall and fabricating a boiler on a construction site in a remote part of the country is very “uncool”. Given a chance, many of them would opt to work in a plush, air-conditioned office for a multinational in Sandton.

However, you can’t fault their thinking. They have been instilled with the mindset that vocational training is not critical, as Mike Dawe, director of international at the City & Guilds Group, puts it. “There is an ongoing challenge in South Africa, where vocational institutions and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges find it difficult to attract large numbers of students. People still see university study as the first prize and vocational options as second-choice at best – or they don’t even know what vocational options are out there,” he says.

But Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a vehicle which could significantly address pressing issues in the economy, according to a new report from the City & Guilds Group.

The report says Vocational Education and Training (VET) can significantly benefit individuals and businesses, even though it is not getting the traction and recognition needed to attract a large number of students. After exploring the state of VET in four countries – South Africa, the United Kingdon, India and the United States, it concluded that increasing professional and technical skills could increase a country’s GDP. In the UK, for instance, a 10% increase over the next ten years could increase the country’s GDP by UK GDP by £163bn by 2025. In both the UK and US, a 10% increase increase in the number of 16-18 year olds enrolled in VET could reduce unemployment by 1.5%.

Also, increasing investment in VET will benefit employers, who are concerned by skills gaps. In each of the countries studied in the report, the worry over the long-term impact of skills gaps was prevalent. PwC’s most recent case study of South African CEOs found that 36% were “extremely concerned” about the availability of key skills, compared to a global average of 17%.

Summing up, Dawe says: “The report indicates that vocational education can help to fill skills gaps, boost productivity, enhance industries and increase employment – all of which have a significant impact on individuals, businesses and the economy as a whole.”