This paper argues for a broader-based approach to vocational education (VET) and the concept of skill, one that is capable of extending responsibility for improvement to society as a whole, rather than expecting change to come from a single constituency, that of employers. By reclaiming the important roles which vocational education and practical skills play in the everyday lives of people and communities, it might be possible to rescue the concept of VET from its current manifestation as a deficit activity, reluctantly funded by government.