Tracer studies are used to assess levels of preparation and satisfaction of graduates of educational programmes. The approach began with the International Program for the Eradication of Child Labor of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2003, though their use has spread since 2016 as a result of the joint work of the ILO and the European Training Foundation.
Tracer studies for TVET system reform are part of the ECOPER toolkit. The team has used them to collect information from former TVET students from two secondary education vocational streams in Jordan; agriculture and tourism and hospitality. This was done as part of the UNESCO Office in Amman programme to support the Jordanian Government in implementing its TVET reform. By reporting on the experiences of former students who had attended schools and programmes run by the Ministry of Education, the study provided data for the design of future national TVET policy. By trying to identify mismatches between what is taught and the skills and knowledge most in demand in the agriculture, tourism and hospitality sectors, contributions were made to efforts to improve the employability of future students and reduce the skills gap in the sectors.