THE TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority and Vietnam concluded the two-day hybrid Regional Policy Dialogue which aims to strengthen technical vocational education and training in Southeast Asia.

The Regional Policy Dialogue is one of the initial activities of the Asean TVET Council since its establishment in 2020.

The Dialogue was held in Hanoi, Vietnam from June 29 and 30. Those who attended the hybrid event were education and labor ministries, private sector, tripartite partners, academia and other regional stakeholders in the Asean region.

It is the first in a series aimed to be a platform for mutual learning and sharing of achievements and lessons learned from the Asean region and beyond.

The dialogue focused on the important role of TVET governance in shaping a well-qualified workforce. It serves to strengthen the ATC by providing concrete inputs to the council’s Work Plan 2021-2030.

In his message, former TESDA Secretary General Isidro Lapeña, who also served as the ATC chairman, emphasized that the Covid19 pandemic has accelerated technology adoption worldwide.

Companies and employers, he added, are quickly integrating digital technology in their processes, making the demand for labor force with digital competencies rise.

“As a result, there is a need to upgrade our TVET systems and upskill our TVET workforce, while continuously finding ways to identify, integrate, and implement digital competencies in the labor force,” Lapeña said.

The former TESDA chief also noted the need to intensify regional cooperation to address emerging issues and at the same time, harness the opportunities these instances will provide.

“Let us help each other in laying the groundwork and ensure that the Asean TVET Council will live up to our expectations,” he added.