CALOOCAN CITY, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The Philippines is the inaugural Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council for 2020-2022.

The council was officially launched on Wednesday, September 16, during the virtual High-level Ministerial Conference on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work, hosted by the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) of Viet Nam.

ASEAN Secretary-General H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, together with the Ministers and other high officials from all the AMS, the ASEAN Dialogue Partners, development partners, and other key stakeholders in HRD also graced the launching ceremonies.

With TESDA's leadership, the council will be developing a Work Plan in which priorities will include strategies to enhance industry participation, and address emerging issues brought by the ongoing pandemic, technological transformations, and other developments or disruptions.

It shall intensify convergence among the AMS on labor market information system, TVET researches, and capacity-building and quality assessment for trainers.

TVET quality assurance in AMS, implementation and financing, and the improvement of TVET image are also among the identified objectives.

"Our strategies will be inclusive and sustainable - to provide employment and livelihood opportunities for all, especially for the disadvantaged, marginalized, and out-of-school youths, "TESDA director general, Secretary Isidro Lapena said.

As part of the Philippine Chairship of the ATC, TESDA is looking forward to hosting the 1st Meeting of the ASEAN TVET Council in 2021.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is the lead proponent of the ASEAN TVET Council, having proposed its establishment in 2017 during the country's Chairship of ASEAN, with the purpose of harmonizing regional initiatives on TVET and responding to the changing demands of the labor market caused by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

"The initiative stemmed from the challenges posed by the 4IR, which was somehow just starting to gain attention back in 2017. However it was the uncertainties of the digital and technological transformation that made us realize the need for a unified approach among the key players in skills development - both from the supply and demand sides," Lapena said.

The council's mandate is to become "a multi-sectoral/cross-sectoral body that provides a platform for coordination, research and development on innovations and monitoring of regional programmes that support the advancement of TVET in the region."

Lapena noted that the establishment of the ASEAN TVET Council is a landmark achievement in TVET as it affirmed the increasing recognition, confidence, and support of all the ASEAN Member States (AMS) on the role of TVET in attaining socioeconomic development.

The council consists of representatives of AMS from the economic, education, and labor sectors, including business and industry sectors, among others. (TESDA/PIA-NCR)