Even though the importance of technical and vocational education is acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the university sector has dominated the discourse on the role of postsecondary educational institutions in sustainability. This comparative study widens the scope by highlighting contributions that community colleges (CCs) and technical and vocational education and training institutions (TVETs) are making to sustainability in several developed and fast-developing countries. It examines five independent case studies–conducted in Canada, Chile, China, Taiwan, and the United States–and demonstrates that CCs and TVETs are uniquely positioned to make substantial contributions and should be an important part of the sustainability discussion. It also explores special features that allow these institutions to play a vital role in addressing the SDGs. The findings show that the SDGs related to economic development and social justice were a priority in all five case studies, while the environmental SDGs were foremost in the two North American studies. The main barriers to sustainable development include the high cost of education, low completion rates, graduates’ inability to secure employment commensurate with their education, inadequate funding and the reputation of CCs and TVETs as second-tier institutions. © 2021 UCU.
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