ABSTRACT
The economy is overwhelmingly based on the oil industry which provides over 90 percent of exports and 66 percent of fiscal revenue. Government policy is to broaden the industrial base of the economy, and there are some major projects, particularly in Guyana. Industrial productivity is held back by, amongst other things, a lack of trained human resources. The development of higher education in Venezuela in the last 20 years has been characterised by the rising cost of higher education, a steady increase in social demand for entry to the universities and the foundation of new institutions to meet this demand. The origins of the Universidad Nacional Abierta (UNA) thus lie in the acknowledged need to expand and democratise educational opportunities in Venezuela, while at the same time making the country’s educational provision more relevant to the needs of society. The Government viewed its response to these needs as an educational revolution.
