While TVET literature focuses on the potential role of the sector in socio-economic development, seldom is attention given to how socio-economic conditions and policies affect the development of the sector. This paper endeavours to contribute to filling this gap. It argues that examining the factors that influence access, equity and outcomes of TVET and education may not be possible without being embedded in their socio-economic context. A main finding of the paper is that cluttered socio-economic conditions and the public governance system in Sudan have resulted in a weak TVET system -- severely deficient finance, contraction, inadequacy and irrelevance of provision, and uncoordinated institutional governance. Industrial employers' response is to rely largely on informal apprenticeship, which, while helping the poor and creating employment, may not be a replacement for formal TVET provision. A further finding is that the sector is neglecting rural and conflict-ridden regions and girls.