UNESCO is the only UN agency whose mandate covers the development of the whole education sector. The Organization thus promotes TVET and skills development for the world of work within a broader framework of lifelong learning. In cooperation with ministries of education, UNESCO concentrates primarily on secondary and post-secondary TVET, as well as on TVET in non-formal settings. Its work is divided into three core areas: 

• Providing upstream policy advice and related capacity development,
• Clarifying the concept of skills development and improving its monitoring
• Informing the global TVET debate while acting as a clearinghouse.

The UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training helps UNESCO's 195 Member States strengthen and upgrade their TVET systems. It is UNESCO’s specialized resource and capacity building centre for TVET and the hub of a worldwide network of UNEVOC Centres.