OFFICIALS from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations finalized the work plan of the ASEAN TVET Council during the two-day workshop led by the Philippines through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The workshop held on June 15 and 16 was participated by representatives of each country’s ministries of education, labor, and trade and industry, and the ASEAN Confederation of Employers, ASEAN Future Workforce Council, ASEAN Trade Union Council, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat.

They were joined by dialogue partners from Australia, Germany, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, as well as development partners from the International Labor Organization, International Organization for Migration, UNESCO, SEAMEO-VOCTECH and Regional Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training for ASEAN.

TESDA chief Isidro Lapeña, the inaugural ATC chairman, opened the proceedings.

“Let us provide one another with insights on how we, the ASEAN TVET Council, can help our labor force recover from the pandemic and ultimately, ensure their resilience in this continuously changing world of work,” he said.

The council came up with a concrete plan on the priority programs that will be pursued. It also identified the areas of strategic collaborations and cooperation with external partners and sectoral bodies.

The work plan will be the council’s guide on the implementation of strategies and other innovations to empower the labor force and further improve TVET in the Asean region.

“This workshop is a testament of our strong commitment and partnership in achieving our shared goal of advancing the ASEAN TVET systems that will contribute to the competitiveness, productivity, and resilience of the ASEAN workforce,” Lapeña said.

The work plan will be endorsed to the relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies for approval, and will be discussed in the ASEAN summit in October.

The ATC, being a multi-sectoral/cross-sectoral body, provides a platform for coordination, research and development on innovations, and monitoring of regional programs that support the advancement of TVET in the region.

The creation of the ATC was initiated by TESDA’s Policies and Planning cluster in 2017, and was approved during the 36th ASEAN Summit in June 2020. The Philippines is the head of the ATC until 2022.