This paper brings together views, perspectives, and insights from policy makers, practitioners, and leading experts on skills development for inclusive and sustainable growth.
The volume is organized in four parts:
- major trends and concerns relating to skills development
- prominent issues and strategies that are emerging in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills development sector in the countries of Asia and the Pacific region in response to the key challenges confronting them.
- links between technical and vocational education and training and the imperatives of greening economies (if and how education and training are responding to green growth).
- an emerging framework for policy and action in the skills and training sector that development partners could consider in their future activities and investments.
Key findings
Global unemployment stood at 200 million in 2011, almost half of that in Asia and the Pacific alone. Skills training systems are pressed to create “work-ready” people to increase employment, but growth alone is not enough. More jobs and greater inclusiveness help to redress poverty, inequality, and exclusion.
- A large share of employment in Asia is found within the informal sector.
- Emerging and modernising economies are concerned with upskilling their workforce to meet the demands of knowledge-intensive and high technology industries. However, technology adoption in Asian countries has proceeded at a rapid pace, exerting pressure on the level of skills required in the workforce.
- With a growing incidence of graduate unemployment in Asia’s advanced and emerging economies, focus needs to shift to “right skilling” of the workforce.
- The private sector is a critical partner for increasing cost efficiency, quality, and relevance in skills training. Although there is concern about the profit-driven nature of the private sector, it is recognised that it can also serve the poor and disadvantaged through voucher schemes and contracted training.
- Qualification frameworks can strengthen links between education, training, and the labour market, and help to move the workforce toward meeting the economic goals of countries.
- Many education systems fragment and split vocational training from academic degrees with no bridge between the two. Pathways from TVET to bachelor’s and master’s degrees are crucial so that students have options to move from one to the other.
Recommendations
Skills development and TVET are only part of the strategy for employment, particularly for youth and vulnerable groups.
- Specialised strategies for skills training for small and medium enterprises would help their growth and increase employment prospects for workers in the informal sector
- Skills training policies need to be strengthened by labour market and social protection policies to redress obstacles to workforce participation, increase employment, and reduce vulnerability. There also needs to be adequate harmonisation with economic and industrial policies.
- Academy–industry partnerships, internships, and placement programs are mechanisms by which the matching of skills with jobs can be strengthened.
- Qualifications obtained through TVET merit reconsideration; TVET is associated with diplomas and certificates, whereas academic streams grant degrees with higher signalling value.
