Systematic Review of TVET and Indigenous Cultural Integration in Indonesia: Pathways Toward Contextualized Skills Education

1.1 Background and rationale

With one of the world’s most culturally diverse populations, Indonesia has scores of ethnic groups and over 700 living languages. This rich variety is manifested in its customs, artisanry and communal forms of knowledge systems which are known as local wisdom or indigenous knowledge. This knowledge is not only symbolic, but practical as well—comprising traditional forms of agricultural production, craft-making, land and environmental stewardship practices and social conventions influencing present-day livelihoods in the villages (Hariyanti, 2025).

Although Indonesia is one of the richest countries, its TVET has been mainly orientated to Industrial and Global competitive standards and less attention has been given on the socio-cultural aspect in education. This gap has created a separation between the vocational graduates and the local socio-economic life that is lived and worked in by them (Nuraeni & Henigusnia, 2021). Thus better integrating indigenous cultural perspectives into TVET can, potentially, achieve dual purposes: of both reducing the skills mismatch while preserving culture.

It has been found that when curricula include local wis-dom related components, i.e., those involving context-based learning based on indigenous practices, community participation and internalization of cultural value, students will be significantly more engaged, more adaptable and pre-dominantly entrepreneurial (Hariyanti, 2025). In tourism-oriented vocational programs such as the village-based education, it has been shown that students can be encouraged to participate and help the community-based economy while at the same time learning to conserve local culture (Riswano & Widiaty, 2023). It is clear that if supported, indigenous knowledge need not to be peripheral but instead driver of more contextualized and sustainable vocational education systems.

1.2 Literature gap and novelty

Recent TVET publications in Indonesia have focused on the green competencies (Riswano & Widiaty, 2023), digital competences of VET teachers (King, 2024; Pulhehe, 2024) and TVET students’ ability to perform various tasks using technology (Kennedy et al., 2022). These areas are necessary to meet global labor market demand, but not at the expense of technological advancement and the retention of local culture. However, this has yielded a limited conception of TVET which privileges modernity at the cost of cultural continuity. Meanwhile, in mainstream education research, the importance of incorporating indigenous cultural knowledge into curricula to increase relevance and inclusivity has also been echoed. For example, curriculum development projects in social sciences would highlight the significance of local wisdom in knowledge contextualisation and nurturing thinking (Kugara, S., & Mdhluli, T., 2023). Likewise, research on native education underscore the importance for national curricula to connect more closely with local lived realities and cultural understandings of natives (Cantika et al., 2025). However, systematic reflection on integration has not yet been elaborated with respect to the vocational sector in which skills training must corresponds to both global labour demands and local socio-cultural worlds.

This void indicates a critical space for research to systematically review and synthesize how TVET in Indonesia has embraced (or rejected) indigenous cultural incorporation, and promote TVET models that might bring together an integration of local traditions with modern vocational competencies. By addressing TVET and integrative into indigenous culture, the novelty in this article is it provides local wisdom not as impediments to modernization but shifts in thinking towards culturally relevant and sustainable vocational education.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The current systematic literature review (SLR) is planned to: 1) To map and review current literature from year 2021-25 relating to the incorporation of indigenous/local culture in TVET in Indonesia. 2) Determine models, frameworks or approaches for operationalizing cultural integration within vocational curriculum, pedagogy and institutional practice. 3) Suggest conceptually ways for training contextualized skills that ensures 3.2R vocational graduates have relevant industry skills, as well civic/cultural sensitivities to local contexts (Chandler et al., 2019).

1.4 Research questions

To answer these aims, the study is guided by the following research questions:

These research questions are formulated broadly with informative and analytical aspects in mind. RQ1 contributes a function of mapping, RQ2 integrates operations, RQ3 balances between globalization and localization-based tensions, and RQ4 transforms integration to conceptual creation. In organising the review to address these questions, this study not only consolidates existing knowledge, but also identifies actionable gaps positioning indigenous cultural integration as transformative rather than tangential to TVET reform (Tikly, 2019).

1.5 Significance and contribution

The present review provides contributions at different levels. Theoretical and practical implications: It connects two fields’ vocational education and indigenous cultural studies that are usually studied independently, thereby providing inter-disciplinary approach. Policy impact: The results could inform policy and TVET institutions to promote a curriculum that captures the balance between being globally competitive and preserving cultural identity. Practical implications: The study provides recognition on culturally integrated TVET practices that can build the capacity of local communities and generate context specific vocational graduates. Socio-cultural implications: The integration of indigenous knowledge into the curriculum of TVET ensures that indigenous cultural sustainability is considered in the modernisation process, as opposed to homogenising culture for development.

2.1 Review protocol

To ensure the systematic, transparent and reproducible review process, this study takes a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (Page et al., 2021). It was designed to systematically respond to the research questions adapted from Section 1.4 with consideration for studies published from January 2021 and by June 2025. This review intends to consolidate the studies related to incorporation of Indonesian indigenous culture into TVET and help make sense about purpose practically, this narrative review paper provides what have been done on how we incorporate cultural elements in TVET and what need to do by bringing information knowledge that was previously scattered.

2.2 Data sources and search strategy

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple academic databases to ensure a broad and inclusive selection of relevant studies: Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), RIC (Education Resources Information Center), Google Scholar (for grey literature and cross-referencing). The search strategy utilized Boolean operators and was tailored to each database. Core search strings included:

Filters were applied to limit results to peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters published between 2021 and 2025.

The distribution of research themes related to vocational education in Indonesia is illustrated in Figure 1. It highlights the major nodes representing frequently co-occurring keywords within the reviewed literature, showing the relational strength between terms such as vocational school, student, teacher, curriculum, and development. Figure 2 illustrates the global distribution and thematic clusters of research on indigenous knowledge, highlighting the interconnections between cultural, educational, and environmental dimensions of indigenous studies. Figure 3 presents the keyword co-occurrence network related to local wisdom within the educational context, emphasizing its intersection with culture, character education, and community-based learning

Figure 1. Vocational Education Maps.

Figure 2. Indigenous knowledge maps.

Figure 3. Local wisdom maps by Vosviewer.

2.3 Eligibility criteria

Eligibility criteria for a study to be included in the review, it had to meet several criteria developed to promote methodological quality and coverage. The eligible ones focused on TVET in Indonesian context and dealt with theme on indigenous culture or local culture, local wisdom, even including broader cultural adaptation. Publications were eligible regardless of whether in English or Indonesian, as long as an English abstract was present to allow for international readership. Types of studies included Empirical research (qualitative, quantitative or both) systematic reviews and frameworks which directly contribute to debates on vocational education. To ensure academic quality, only peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers and book chapters published from 2021 to 2025 were included.

Exclusion criteria were applied in order to narrow down the focus and prevent concept overlapping. Studies were excluded if they had not clearly framed their study in Indonesia or covered educational sectors other than TVET (e.g., higher education, general education, industry training) and did not include a cultural integration element. Grey literature ACADEMIA was screened out, except unpublished theses, reports or policy briefs cited in articles to ensure transparency and reproducibility. There were no restrictions on language or publication date, although studies before 1 March 2021 and beyond the year 2025 were excluded to make sure that only recent evidence contributed towards the evidence base.

This process of inclusion and exclusion was grounded in accepted international standards for systematic evidence review. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidance for transparent reporting of study selection (Page et al., 2021; Moher et al., 2009; Stovold et al., 2014) and was supplemented by additional frameworks including ROSES for systematic evidence syntheses (Macura & Haddaway, 2018) and environmental review standards for evidence synthesis (Petrokofsky, 2018). Moreover, principles of living systematic review approaches (Elliott et al., 2017) and open science in technology-enhanced learning (Kraker et al., 2011) were considered for design, to ensure the design was focused on reproducibility, access, and adaptability over time as scholarship progresses.

2.4 Study selection process

Description of the studies Study selection: A systematic three-step screening process was used to avoid methodological biases and improve transparency.

2.5 Data extraction and coding

To facilitate consistent recording of appropriate information from included studies, we created a structured data extraction form. The key data fields included - bibliographic details (author, year, journal), study type (empirical, review or conceptual), research objectives, population/setting targeted; specific cultural elements addre ssed in the TVET intervention such as local wisdom and indigenous knowledge of some theme tourism culture/script traditions; type of a TVET intervention (curriculum, pedagogy and institutional practice).

2.6 Key findings and recommendations

Data were coded both inductively and deductively. Deductive codes were based on the research questions (e.g., cultural integration models, challenges, opportunities), while inductive codes emerged from thematic patterns across the literature.

2.7 Quality appraisal

A structured quality assessment for this review was not undertaken with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018 version) (Hong et al., 2018). This is partially because many of the studies are qualitative or conceptual, including ethnographic case studies, policy reviews, and curriculum analyses. However, a number of authors have suggested that the application scoring tools such as MMAT to qualitative and conceptual research risks oversimplifying given that a) these types or research are usually context specific; and b) they aim to develop exploratory/interpretive findings rather than standardized ‘outcomes’ (Booth, 2016: Dixon-Woods et al., 2006).

In addition, MMAT was designed to rate studies in five methodological areas (qualitative, randomized controlled trials, non-randomized studies, quantitative descriptive studies, and mixed methods) (Hong et al., 2018). Although it allows a strong framework for combined mixed-method and quantitative SOS evaluations, the criteria are less applicable to purely conceptual or narrative SOS studies that comprised a significant amount of data in this review. For instance, theoretical or policy papers focusing on the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into TVET are not suitable to be rated based MMAT’s elements regarding randomization, representativeness of samples or statistical precision.

A number of systematic review methodologists warn against the presumption that in these types of cases, rigour is centred as much on transparencies around selection and perspectives included, by which a context can be given to findings (Gough et al., 2017; Noblit & Hare, 1988). In line with this directive, we have focused our review on the process of narrative synthesis and thematic coding in order to do justice to the depth and subtlety of qualitative insights.

2.8 Data synthesis

Considering the variety of designs, research settings, and methodological standpoints, we used a narrative synthesis method. Narrative synthesis is particularly appropriate for reviews in which it is not possible to pool data, to enable findings from varied evidence bases to be systematically clustered and interpreted (Elliott et al., 2017; Petrokofsky, 2018). The analysis adhered to best-practice reporting standards in evidence synthesis, incorporating the PRISMA guidelines (Moher et al., 2009; Page et al., 2021) as well as supporting frameworks e.g. ROSES for systematic mapping and narrative integration (Macura & Haddaway, 2018).

Findings were thematically organized into three interrelated domains:

The chosen use of a narrative synthesis is also congruent with appeals for openness and reflexivity in educational research (Kraker et al., 2011), because it allows the acknowledgment of various epistemological contributions, yet at the same time methodological transparency. Synthesis process was sought to address accountability, with this documented in conjunction with the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram to provide a transparent record of how studies were identified, screened and included (Stovold et al., 2014).

3.1 Study selection

The PRISMA 2021 flow diagram ( Figure 4) summarizes the search and screening process, including the number of records identified, screened, excluded, and finally included in the systematic review. Figure 4 presents the study selection process following the PRISMA 2021 guidelines. A total of 432 records were retrieved from academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar) and 8 from registers. After removing 97 duplicate records and 50 ineligible entries identified by automation tools, 335 studies remained for screening. Of these, 211 were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria (e.g., not related to TVET or not situated in Indonesia). Full-text assessment was performed on 124 reports, resulting in 42 studies that met the eligibility criteria for final synthesis. The diagram demonstrates the transparency of the review process and aligns with international standards for systematic evidence synthesis (Page et al., 2021).

Figure 4. PRISMA 2021 flow diagram showing the results of the search, the selection process of included studies and reasons for exclusion.

3.2 Characteristics of included studies

Table 1 provides an overview of representative studies included in the review, highlighting the diversity of research designs, contexts, and cultural elements examined. Most of the studies were conducted in Indonesia between 2021 and 2025, with a few comparative and international cases providing contextual depth. The studies encompass empirical, review-based, and conceptual designs, covering topics such as local wisdom integration (Hariyanti, 2025), tourism-based vocational programs (Riswano & Widiaty, 2023), policy and curriculum alignment (Pulhehe, 2024), and agricultural indigenous practices (Mahpudz, 2021). The findings collectively demonstrate that integrating indigenous knowledge into TVET enhances student engagement, sustainability competencies, and cultural relevance, while emphasizing the need for stronger policy frameworks and institutional support. The 42 selected studies were published from 2021 to 2025, where there are more papers published after the year of 2022 that shows a continuous research interest in combining culture dimensions into TVET. Sixty two per cent of studies were empirical, 24% were conceptual frameworks and 14% were systematic reviews. 1) Publication venues: (Most; Journal of Technical Education and Training, International Journal of Instruction, Indonesian SCOPUS indexed journals such as Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi). 2) Method of research: Mostly qualitative (ethnography on vocational schools harmonizing local culture) and some mixed methods including a study of the curriculum development and students’ achievement studies (Matu, 2022; Gangoso, 2023; Alamsyah, 2022; Chen et al., 2024).

A number of key themes emerge in the literature reviewed. First, integration of cultural identity in curriculum is often acknowledged to be a vehicle to make education relevant and inclusive (Hidayat et al., 2020; Matindike & Ramdhany, 2025). Secondly, utilization of indigenous knowledge and skills—including through entrepreneurial activity and applied learning— has been pointed at as a sustainable way for the development of skills (Maheshwari & Nguyen, 2024; Ali et al., 2024). Third, community tourism and indigenous knowledge are cases in which vocational students can practice cultural skills within the reality (Trupp et al., 2025). Last, but not least, is the issue of teacher preparedness in addressing culturally responsive TVET reform moving forward (Kamsin, 2023; Raby & Valeau, 2024) particularly with respect to digital literacy and balancing global and local priorities.

3.3 Thematic findings

RQ1: What is the state of knowledge with respect to how culture integrates within TVET in Indonesia?

Most of the articles highlighted local wisdom as pedagogical content and teaching context. For example, sustainable competencies are introduced in vocational schools through community-based agricultural practices (Mahpudz, 2021). Likewise, local practicum of traditional crafts and tourisms were included in entrepreneurship training, pointing out a positive coherence between vocational curricula and the local economic ecosystem (Hariyanti, 2025).

RQ2: Which are the models, strategies, approaches and frameworks used when integrating culture in TVET?

Three main strategies were identified: Curriculum contextualization (embedding indigenous knowledge into formal vocational subjects, especially in agriculture, tourism, and the handicraft) (Riswano & Widiaty, 2023). Work-based and community learning: This approach sends students out into the community or local industries to study directly with practitioners (Cantika et al., 2025). Hybrid digital-cultural models: Conserving and emulating the cultural practice with technology in vocational training (Pulhehe, 2024).

RQ3: What major problem and potential opportunities are faced using TVET as a point of alignment with local wisdom?

Obstacles are twofold: Lack of institutional support, and fixed curricula that favour other global competencies over cultural knowledge (Li & Pilz, 2023). Chances exist in deepening of community involvement, interiorization of cultural tourism as a vocational work, and the transformational power to competitive local wisdom in the promotion for sustainable development (Nuraeni & Henigusnia, 2021).

RQ4: How may integration of indigenous knowledge contribute to contextualised skills development?

There are raises indication, and traditional knowledge influences technical skills, as well cultural competence, identity survival and community development. Students who participated in culturally rooted TVET gained increased capability, readiness to take entrepreneurial risks and lodging community after graduating (Hariyanti, 2025). It suggests the possibility of creating a Contextualized Skills Education Framework that transcends global competencies and embraces local traditions.

For a brief overview or illustration of RQ1 to RQ4, see Figure 5 below:

Figure 5. Explaning RQ1-RQ4.

3.4 Summary of findings

In sum, the review points to an emerging consensus among scholars that TVET in Indonesia should develop as a more culturally sensitive and locally anchored system of training while also being able to compete internationally based on skill referents. On the other hand, institutional bluntness and massification of curricula still stand as main obstacles; both processes tend to prioritize competences for industry at global scope over integration with local identities (Li & Pilz, 2023). But new models of technical training that incorporate local knowledge and communitybased practices offer promising routes to locally relevant, sustainable forms of skills education. For example, the inclusion of local agricultural traditions and crafts in learning activities proved helpful to students’ adaptability and entrepreneurial orientation with the increased recognition of their cultural identity (Mahpudz, 2021; Hariyanti, 2025). Likewise, models of (experiential) learning and community engagement, such as village tourism or the collaboration with small enterprises, not only serve to empower learners but also directly connect training to local economies (Cantika et al., 2025; Trupp et al., 2025). Hybrid digital-cultural models also generate possibilities for the safeguarding of indigenous knowledge through technology and simple access to culturally relevant learning (Khairi & Alhafidh, 2024). As a whole, these approaches are consistent with the global calls for education that promotes sustainability and inclusion by integrating new skills with traditional knowledge (Tikly, 2019). In this regard, TVET that is culture responsive becomes no longer an educational innovation but also a strategic necessity which could contribute and promote social inclusive, employability and sustainable development in Indonesia.

4.1 Integration of indigenous knowledge in TVET (RQ1)

Recent research underscores the need to include indigenous perspectives in TVET in order that courses have cultural relevance and are responsive to community needs. For example, da Silva, Pereira and Amorim (2023) carried out a systematic review of the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into primary education ecosystems among developing countries with focus on potential advantages and challenges. There is also Li et al., (2024) which studies the link between vocational education and cultural tourism claiming that if culture were incorporated in the currical would lead into better overall training of VT teachers.

However, the problem of standardizing such integrations across organizations still remains. The challenge of incorporating indigenous knowledge systems into a formal education system was investigated in (Ali et al., 2024; Li & P4ilz, 2023; Matindike & Ramdhany, 2025) and the requirement for flexible curricula and professional training to support different cultural views were highlighted.

4.2 Strategies and models for cultural integration (RQ2)

A number of methodologies are suggested for the incorporation of culture in TVET: 1) Curriculum Contextualisation: The inclusion of indigenous knowledge within vocational disciplines not only adds relevance to training but also ensures that vocational skills are grounded in local economic/.and cultural realities. 2) Experiential and Community Learning: In-country practitioners teach students in host communities, strengthening cultural understanding and entrepreneurship. 3) Digital-Cultural Hybrid Models: When technology is applied to mimic/go preserve cultural practices it enables wider access, with the integrity of culture retained. Taken together, these strategies underscore the importance of multiple-level alignment for successful acculturation: curriculum, pedagogy, institutional support, and community engagement.

4.3 Challenges and opportunities (RQ3)

The review highlighted a number of structural and pedagogical obstacles to the integration of indigenous culture in TVET in Indonesia.

In addition to these challenges, the literature also identifies some opportunities:

These results combined provide a picture that Indonesian TVET is in a good place to develop an improved response to cultural needs, where building skills also builds social capital. It will need flexible curricula, ongoing institutional commitment and collaborative modes that see local wisdom as orientating innovation, not irrelevant sideshow to vocational training.

4.4 Towards contextualized skills education (RQ4)

The infusion of indigenous knowledge contributes to a Contextualized Skills Education Framework through which vocational skills are co-constructed with cultural literacies. Key insights include: 1) Cultural Competency to the Core: Students learn technical skills but also what it means to respectfully work with members of a local community. 2) Learning With and From the Community: Learning outcomes are better when students learn from experience in culturally authentic contexts. 3) Global and Local Balance: We strive to integrate the visions of international codes with those locally, it is important that graduates cannot only work in local economic environments but become international.

The statement above relates directly to the concept structure depicted in Figure 6. The visual provides a synthesis of how Indigenous knowledges and local wisdom are integrated with the global and industry do fresh knowledge base for vocational education reform. As the diagram indicates, these inputs are given reality through CRDs in the form of contextualising curricula and doing work experience or community service, hybrid digital-cultural configurations etc. Such paths are supported by empirical evidence: Bugis-Makassar farmers in South Sulawesi institutionalized integration of Indigenous and modern knowledge for rice farming decision-making through Tudang Sipulung forums, illustrating that tradition and skill can coexist in economically meaningful contexts (Limpo et al., 2022). Indonesian literature also shows that despite the growing discourse on digital capacity for TVET educators, a clear pattern of certification and policy direction does not yet exist, which hinders the spread of hybrid digital-cultural claim to learn strategy (Widaningsih et al., 2024). Moreover, the exploitation of ethnomathematics and local wisdom in SMK mathematics curricula represents specific examples showing how contextualized curriculum can improve students’ cultural resonance and their understanding of mathematics (Dhema et al., 2025).

Figure 6. The conceptual framework.

4.5 Implications for policy and practice

Implications for practice and policy these findings have a number of practical and policy lessons: 1) Policy of Curriculum: National TVET system frameworks should be flexible to the extent that local and indigenous knowledge does not conflict with international demand for competences. 2) Teacher Training: Professional developments should prepare teachers to teach culture in a meaningful way. 3) Community Partnership: Schools’ relationship with local communities is an effective means of ensuring the quality and longevity of vocational education programmes. 4) Digital Innovation: Integrating technology to replicate or conserve cultural practices, guarantees learning that is scalable and accessible.

4.6 Research gaps and future directions

Notwithstanding burgeoning interest, several research gaps exist: Absence of standardized models to incorporate culture in TVET. Fewer studies investigating learning outcomes directly associated with cultural integration. Limited longitudinal research on longer-term employment and community outcomes. Hybrid Digital-Cultural Practices in VET: a lack of research. Recommendations for future research are to develop standardized, evidence-based models of cultural integration that measure both technical skill achievement and cultural competence.

5.1 Cultural integration enhances learning outcomes and employability

The study reveals that TVET with indigenous knowledge helps students to enhance their practical skills, problem solving and cultural awareness (da Silva et al., 2023; Li et al., 2024). Students exposed to culturally specific curricula not only gain traditional knowledge and skills, but they also develop deeper understanding of community ways of working that increases their capacity to respond appropriately in local and global employment environments. This demonstrates that cultural fusion is an important part of holistic competence education.

5.2 Multiple strategies for effective cultural embedding

Three main streams were found in the literature: curriculum contextualization, experiential and community-based learning, as well as hybrid digital-cultural models (Raby & Valeau, 2024; Pavlova, 2007; Thienemann, 2014; Maar et al., 2020; Maar et al., 2022). Curriculum contextua lization contributes to relevance of learning content for the student’s local context and experiential methods support prac tical-oriented learn ing in authentic cultural settings. Hybrid approaches from culture and digitals science gives scalable solutions, making indigenous knowledge more widely available digitally through digital simulations, web platforms. Altogether, they provide a complete system for integrating vocational skills and cultural competence.

5.3 Challenges highlight structural and pedagogical gaps

The review highlighted a number of ongoing challenges, including institutional inflexibility, inadequate training for teachers, and technological resources that are too scarce. Research indicates that many of the tech/vocational colleges have difficulty integrating standardized industrial competences with culture-based content (da Silva et al., 2023). Policy intervention, professional development programmes and infrastructure support must address these gaps to allow effective integration.

5.4 Opportunities for sustainable and contextualized skills education

Despite challenges, opportunities are abundant. And the influence of local communities allows for learning that is authentic, social capital-building and culture-protecting. In addition, cultural tourism and digital tools are also infused into TVET programmes to extend the scalability and sustainability aspect of culturally responsive education (Li et al., 2024). This shows that TVET could be a bridge between global labor demands and local cultural-based perceptions, resulting in graduates with not only technical competencies but culturally competent.

5.5 Novelty and contributions

This article adds a synthesized model of Contextualized Skills Education, where the intersection between technical skills and culture, community and digital engagement are presented. This article, unlike any other before it, synthesizes the international evidence base to show that embedding indigenous knowledge into TVET is not merely an optional add-on but a core strategy for nurturing flexible, culturally competent and employable graduates.

5.6 Policy and practical implications

TVET policymakers should allow flexibility in curricula to integrate indigenous knowledge without undermining global competency standards. Teacher development programs must prioritize training on cultural pedagogy and community-based learning approaches. Institutional partnerships with local communities and the use of digital platforms can support scalable, sustainable, and inclusive vocational education.

5.7 Future research directions

The review mentions several areas for future research: We need more studies to 1) Standardization and evidence based model for integration of indigenous technical knowledge into TEVT. 2) Longitudinal reports on the outcome of student’s employment, academic and community outcomes generated from cultural integration. 3) Dissemination: Explore of hybrid digital-cultural methods for wider use & sustainability. 4) Comparative cross-country and cultural studies to determine best practices and strategies that can be utilized.

5.8 Final conclusion

In conclusion, this review confirms that integrating indigenous knowledge into TVET is not only feasible but essential. It strengthens student competencies, preserves cultural heritage, and enhances community and economic development. By implementing a culturally responsive and contextualized skills education framework, educational institutions can prepare graduates to navigate both local and global labor markets effectively, ensuring vocational education contributes meaningfully to societal and economic resilience.