Asia and the Pacific

ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Enhancing competitiveness and employability through skill development

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Document

Content Type:

															ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Enhancing competitiveness and employability through skill development
													

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The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org

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skpILO

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ilo

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Anticipating and matching skills needs

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Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.

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skpAFSN

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anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Lifelong learning

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There is a critical need for a greater overall investment in education and training, particularly in developing countries. Education and training investments should be closely linked to economic and employment growth strategies and programmes. Responsibility should be shared between the government (primary responsibility), enterprises, the social partners, and the individual. To make lifelong learning for all a reality, countries will need to make major reforms of their vocational and education and training systems. School-to-work schemes for young people should integrate education with workplace learning. Training systems need to become more flexible and responsive to rapidly changing skill requirements. Reforms should also focus on how learning can be facilitated, not just on training for specific occupational categories.

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skpPSLLL

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lifelong-learning

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues.

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skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

25 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_132852.pdf

Part of the ILO Asia-Pacific working paper series Given the varied development levels of countries with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), this paper examines which skills are needed in which countries and how countries can strengthen their skills and training systems to benefit from emerging opportunities of integration and boost competitiveness. It also introduces the issues of skills certification, portability and recognition.

Subject Tags:

Employability

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employability

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643

School-to-work transition

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school-to-work-transition

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652

Skills anticipation

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skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch

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654

Regions:

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Apprenticeship and small and medium-sized enterprises: The China case

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Document

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Apprenticeship and small and medium-sized enterprises: The China case

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English

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english

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skpEng

Sources:

ILO

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skpILO

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ilo

Topics:

Knowledge Products:

Case studies and good practices

Case studies that document good practices and illustrate the benefits and lessons learnt of particular approaches or methods in real practice.

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skpCaseStdy

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case-studies-and-good-practices

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

23 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_132453.pdf

The present case study on apprenticeship and SME’s in China is part of a larger research & development exercise in the framework of the ILO ‘Global Product’ project. This project aims:

- To explore and expose the evidence on the business case for responsible workplace practices, through targeted research, with the aim of strengthening the evidence base and clarifying how the argument can be applied to underpin future ILO interventions and policy guidance.’(ILO 2013)

The ‘Global Product’ project explores and later tests the interconnections between enterprise productivity, conditions of work and skills development, and it tries to identify cause and effect relationships found in the context of SMEs, particularly in developing countries.

Subject Tags:

Apprenticeships

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apprenticeships

Identifier

639

Enterprises

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enterprises

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175

School-to-work transition

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school-to-work-transition

Identifier

652

Small enterprises

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small-enterprises

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181

Vocational training

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vocational-training

Identifier

124

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

China

Indonesia's higher education system: How responsive is it to the labor market?

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Document

Content Type:

Indonesia's higher education system: How responsive is it to the labor market?

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International organizations

Information is gathered from other international organizations that promote skills development and the transition from education and training to work. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET) was established in 2009 to share research findings, coordinate joint research endeavours, and improve collaboration among organizations working at the international and national levels.

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skpIntOrg

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international-organizations

Topics:

Training quality and relevance

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skpTrainQR

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training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

23 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_132455.pdf

Indonesia is at a development crossroads. It successfully weathered the 2008 international financial crisis, and it has shown resilience in the current turbulent times. Its economy is now one of the largest 20 economies in the world and it has ambitious plans to achieve high-income status and join the G-7 by 2030. Yet the challenges it faces are daunting.

This paper presents a framework to look at incentives and argues that without the right system in place, the tendency of the education sector will not necessarily be to align its supply with the demands of the labour market. Section 2 discusses some key features of the system in Indonesia. Section 3 looks at the performance of higher education graduates in the labour market, their labour force participation, unemployment rates, the types of jobs they obtain and trends in the returns to higher education. Section 4 takes patterns in employment and returns to education, as well as employer surveys, to find signs of misalignment between supply and demand in the types of degrees of graduates, the sectors where they are employed and the skills they bring with them. Finally, section 5 concludes with some suggested policy directions and future research.

Subject Tags:

Education and training

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education-and-training

Identifier

116

Skills and training policy

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skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch

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654

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Indonesia

Progressing STEM Skills in Australia

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Document

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Progressing STEM Skills in Australia

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English

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english

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skpEng

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Employers' organizations

Employers invest in training in order to improve productivity, innovate and adopt new technologies, and compete in changing markets. Case studies and research from individual employers and associations of employers on the Global KSP deal with apprenticeship and workplace skills provision, quality assurance and governance of training institutions, and employers’ roles in anticipating skill needs and in influencing national and sector policies on skills development.

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skpEmp

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employers-organizations

Topics:

Access to training

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Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.

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skpATSU

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access-to-training

Anticipating and matching skills needs

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skpAFSN

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anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

18 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_132059.pdf

The importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines for the future economic and social well-being of Australia cannot be underestimated. International research indicates that 75 per cent of the fastest growing occupations require STEM skills and knowledge. In the US STEM employment grew three times more than non-STEM employment over the past twelve years and is expected to grow twice as fast by 2018. In Europe there are predictions of a shortage of between 380,000 and 700,000 ICT workers. The basic contributors to healthy STEM are research, international engagement and education. Specifically, education prepares a skilled and dynamic STEM workforce and sets the foundation for lifelong STEM literacy in the community. This report highlights the current situation of STEM skills development in Australia making international comparisons and provides policy recommendations.

Subject Tags:

Employers

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employers

Identifier

672

Skills and training policy

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skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills anticipation

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skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Australia

Australian Industry Report

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Document

Content Type:

Australian Industry Report

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English

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english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment

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skpGov

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governments

Topics:

Anticipating and matching skills needs

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skpAFSN

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anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Career guidance and employment services

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Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.

Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.

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skpLMIES

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career-guidance-and-employment-services

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

18 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_132052.pdf

The Australian Industry Report is a new initiative of the Department of Industry’s Office of the Chief Economist. The report provides an overview and analysis of the major economic factors affecting Australia’s industries. While this report is of an economic and analytical nature, it is intended to be relevant to a broad audience. The purpose of the report is to bring together in a single reference document an overview of the state of Australian industry, as well as the drivers of change and the associated implications.

In the report Australian industries resulted to be well placed to adapt to the changing circumstances. The terms of trade are expected to continue to fall, which should exert downward pressure on the Australian dollar, and provide some relief for trade-exposed industries. Productivity is expected to pick up as the economy transitions to the production phase of the Mining sector. Labour market conditions are softening, but due to flexibility in the labour market, this has had the upshot (for businesses) of reducing real wages and skills shortages. Unit labour cost pressures have also been subsiding, and, combined with some depreciation in the exchange rate, this has led to Australia’s cost competitiveness improving moderately over the past two years.

Subject Tags:

Industrial development

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industrial-development

Identifier

214

Skills anticipation

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skills-anticipation

Identifier

677

Skills mismatch

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skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Trade

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trade

Identifier

250

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Australia

Mapping and analysis of growth-oriented industrial sub-sectors and their skill requirements in Bangladesh

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Mapping and analysis of growth-oriented industrial sub-sectors and their skill requirements in Bangladesh
													

Language:

English

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english

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skpEng

Sources:

ILO

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skpILO

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ilo

Topics:

Sectoral approaches

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Matching skills to labour market demand requires reliable sectoral and occupational information and institutions that connect employers with training providers. Sector based strategies and institutions have proved effective in engaging all stakeholders in promoting both pre-employment training and life-long learning.

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skpSectApr

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sectoral-approaches

Training quality and relevance

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skpTrainQR

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training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

16 Feb 2015

Open

fm11g_012416.pdf

The present report has been prepared within the framework of the Bangladesh Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reform Project. The project, which is an initiative of the Government of Bangladesh, is funded by the European Commission and executed by the International Labour Organization. It aims to raise productivity and employability through skills development. Its specific objectives are to improve TVET policy and systems, build national capacity to develop new qualifications, courses, and teacher training programmes, and extend better training opportunities in the informal economy. It is designed to ensure that the TVET system in Bangladesh is better placed to serve the skill requirements of employers and to enable more people to acquire relevant skills that will help them gain productive wage- or self-employment. The present study is intended to identify: (i) sectors that are competitive and demonstrate growth potential; and (ii) the type of skills that will be required by these sectors in the coming years. The basic purpose of the study was to provide guidance for the TVET reform project, especially in selecting the sub-sectors to be targeted.

Subject Tags:

Apprenticeships

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apprenticeships

Identifier

639

Employability

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employability

Identifier

643

Manufacturing

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manufacturing

Identifier

216

Occupational qualification

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occupational-qualification

Identifier

409

Productivity

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productivity

Identifier

188

Sectoral approaches

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sectoral-approaches

Identifier

676

Vocational training

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vocational-training

Identifier

124

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a strong track record of growth and development, even in times of elevated global uncertainty. A robust demographic dividend, strong ready-made garment exports, resilient remittance inflows, and stable macroeconomic conditions have supported rapid economic growth over the past two decades. A strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continued in FY22, although a recent surge in commodity prices has presented new headwinds.

Bangladesh reached lower-middle income status in 2015. It is on track to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Countries list in 2026. Poverty declined from 43.5 percent in 1991 to 14.3 percent in 2016, based on the international poverty line of $1.90 a day (1).

Like many of its Asian neighbours, Bangladesh faces a major challenge trying to develop modern, employability skills for tens of millions of young women and men. It has a large informal sector, which accounts for 94.7 percent of the total employment in 2017 (2). Youth continue to be highly affected by the lack of opportunities, with the share of youth aged 15-24 not in employment, education or training (NEET), estimated at 27.8 percent in 2020 (3).

TVET has a huge role to play in equipping the vast young labour force of 15-29 years referred to as the country’s “demographic dividend” with employability skills and providing enhanced support services to ensure a better transition from school to work. TVET may also contribute to reducing poverty by providing employability skills, particularly to those who drop out of school early and to a large number of unemployed and underemployed adults.

Despite many reform initiatives by the government, the TVET sector needs further strengthening through reform of policies and systems in the labour market. Enhancing industry-relevance of TVET qualifications will furthermore require closer Government cooperation with the private sector. For one and a half decade, the ILO has worked closely with the Government of Bangladesh and its Social Partners to reform the TVET sector and to improve access for people to increase their skills and employability, in particular youth, women and people from other marginalized groups.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had detrimental effects on the TVET sector, due to the nation-wide closure of all educational institutes for one and a half years, starting on 17 March 2020. Most students’ learning was effectively abolished for this duration, and learning and certification was only possible through limited online learning facilities in existence at the time. Only recently has the TVET returned to its prior activity level.

The ILO landmark programmes aim to strengthen and improve the environment for industry skills development, address the mismatch between the supply and demand for skills training, and drive the increased employability of millions of young women and men. ILO’s support to develop the skills system in Bangladesh has focused on skills system governance, development of skills policies and qualifications frameworks; delivery of quality skills training, expanding access to TVET, and involvement by the private sector.

Sources

(1) https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh/overview

(2) https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/informality/

(3) https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/youth/

Country Assessment and Priority (CAP) – Bangladesh strategy for skills and lifelong learning (2022)

Situation Analysis of Bangladesh TVET Sector (2019) https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-dhaka/documents/publication/wcms_735704.pdf_

Bangladesh education sector review. Seeding fertile ground: education that works for Bangladesh

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Bangladesh education sector review. Seeding fertile ground: education that works for Bangladesh
													

Language:

English

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english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

International organizations

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Identifier

skpIntOrg

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international-organizations

Topics:

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier

skpTrainQR

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training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

13 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_131657.pdf

Bangladesh is now at a crossroads, given its educational development and growth pattern. With a large and relatively young population – 155 million people in 2012, and 31 percent of them below the age of 15 -- the country is poised to earn a considerable demographic dividend, provided these young people get the opportunity of quality education and skills development resulting in gainful employment. The headway Bangladesh has already made in education as well as in other social sectors is globally recognized, but there are still a number of formidable challenges that need to be correctly identified and tackled with utmost efficiency and commitment.

This report takes a stock of the achievements and challenges that mark the education sector of Bangladesh and tries to suggest appropriate policy measures. It consists of three Policy Notes (PNs) focused on Access and Equity, Education Quality, and Skills Development. Prepared over a period of 18 months, the report is structured in such a way as to present succinctly the key findings and the suggested policy directions.

Subject Tags:

Low skilled workers

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low-skilled-workers

Identifier

650

Skills and training policy

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skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Youth

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youth

Identifier

319

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Bangladesh

Sources

(1) https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/bangladesh/overview

(2) https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/informality/

(3) https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/youth/

Country Assessment and Priority (CAP) – Bangladesh strategy for skills and lifelong learning (2022)

Situation Analysis of Bangladesh TVET Sector (2019) https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—asia/—ro-bangkok/—ilo-dhaka/documents/publication/wcms_735704.pdf_

Apprenticeship and traineeship Policy - Western Australia

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Apprenticeship and traineeship Policy - Western Australia

Language:

English

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english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

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governments

Topics:

Skills policies and strategies

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Skills and employment policies should be viewed together. The full value of one policy set is realized when it supports the objectives of the other. For investments in education and training to yield maximum benefit to workers, enterprises, and economies, countries’ capacities for coordination is critical in three areas: connecting basic education to technical training and then to market entry; ensuring continuous communication between employers and training providers so that training meets the needs and aspirations of workers and enterprises, and integrating skills development policies with industrial, investment, trade, technology, environmental, rural and local development policies.

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skpPolConv

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skills-policies-and-strategies

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier

skpTrainQR

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training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

National policies and initiatives

National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.

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skpNatPol

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national-policies-and-initiatives

Publication Date:

11 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_131256.pdf

The purpose of this policy is to provide advice to organisations/persons associated with the apprenticeship system in Western Australia and to provide support in the interpretation of the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 and Vocational Education and Training (General) Regulations 2009 and the Vocational Education and Training (General) Amendment Regulations 2014.This policy also provides information relating to some aspects of apprenticeship funding.

Subject Tags:

Apprenticeships

Slug

apprenticeships

Identifier

639

Career guidance

Slug

career-guidance

Identifier

640

Employability

Slug

employability

Identifier

643

Policy convergence

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policy-convergence

Identifier

674

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

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Countries and territories:

Australia

Skills shortages and skills gaps in the Cambodian labour market: Evidence from employer skills needs survey

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Skills shortages and skills gaps in the Cambodian labour market: Evidence from employer skills needs survey
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

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governments

ILO

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Identifier

skpILO

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ilo

Topics:

Sectoral approaches

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Identifier

skpSectApr

Slug

sectoral-approaches

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Statistical information

Data produced by the international organizations and countries on trends in skills provision, demand, and employment outcomes to help inform policy-making and monitoring processes.

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skpStatInfo

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statistical-information

Publication Date:

11 Feb 2015

Open

wcmstest4_131252.pdf

ILO Asia-Pacific working paper series The analysis of employers’ perceptions is a new topic in Cambodia, but one that responds to the precise demands of policy-makers while representing a necessary step in the formulation of a National Employment Policy (NEP) that is responsive to both employers’ and workers’ needs and interests.

This survey was the first to be conducted in Cambodia with the aim of describing and understanding employers’ points of view in support of better-informed design, and implementation of, employment and labour market policies.

The survey drew on more than 500 establishments in six sectors. The sectors included three in manufacturing (food and beverages; garments, apparel, and footwear; and rubber and plastics), two in services (finance and insurance, and accommodation), plus construction. The survey covered such topics as skills gaps, skills shortages, difficulties in recruiting, and hard-to-fill vacancies.

Subject Tags:

Gender

Slug

294

Identifier

294

Sectoral approaches

Slug

sectoral-approaches

Identifier

676

Skills mismatch

Slug

skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Survey

Slug

survey

Identifier

611

Youth

Slug

youth

Identifier

319

Regions:

Asia and the Pacific

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Cambodia

Apprenticeship and traineeship Policy - Western Australia

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Apprenticeship and traineeship Policy - Western Australia

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

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governments

Topics:

Apprenticeships

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Quality apprenticeships based on robust social dialogue and public-private partnerships can improve employment prospects for young people while developing high level skills identified by employers as necessary for growth and increased productivity. Both informal and regulated apprenticeship systems are important learning resources enabling young people to overcome the work-inexperience trap, gain new and enhanced skills and recognized qualifications.

Upgrading informal apprenticeships and expanding regulated ones is a cost-effective way to invest in a country’s skills base, promote economic growth and enhance the employability of youth.

Identifier

skpAppren

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apprenticeships