ASEAN countries consider high-quality human resources the key to enhancing the region's labor productivity and competitiveness, especially in the context of the changing world of work. Therefore, human resource development has been chosen by Vietnam as one of the priorities of the ASEAN Year 2020 Presidents.

On September 16, the ASEAN Ministerial Conference for Labor and Education on Human Resource Development for the Changing World of Work was held in the form of direct integration online. The conference was chaired by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs) in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training. This is the first conference to be held with the participation of both the ASEAN Labor Ministers and the ASEAN Education Ministers.

At the Hanoi bridge point, the conference was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and leaders of several ministries, sectors, research institutes, embassies of ASEAN member countries, China, Korea and Japan in Vietnam, a number of universities, vocational schools, businesses and professional associations.

Strengthen educational innovation

At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that the world has been going through great changes including digital transformation, industrial revolution 4.0, non-traditional and direct security issues. Most present at this time is the epidemic.

More production industries, more modes of production will be replaced. Workers will be dismissed and new jobs, new ways and new employment will be born.

In particular, from the beginning of 2020 until now, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected 2.7 billion workers, accounting for about 81% of the workforce worldwide. An incomplete study in the second quarter of 2020, there were 480 million jobs lost, this figure in the ASEAN region was over 42 million. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, prior to the Covid-19 epidemic in the world, in the Asia-Pacific region and ASEAN, there were many forums at all levels to discuss human resource development in the period of Industrial Revolution 4.0.

"At any level, these forums insist that education innovation must be strengthened so that all young people must be motivated, aroused, creative and trained  about skill to adapt to change "- Deputy Prime Minister confirmed.

For Asian countries, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it is extremely important to encourage innovative thinking, promote the new, "not just obedient" but still keep the traditional rules. In addition to education in schools, special attention should be paid to adult education, lifelong learning and knowledge dissemination to people so that all people, all classes, all ages, can access quickly and participate in the industrial revolution 4.0 in the most active way.

Sharing this point of view, Mr. Dato Lim Jock Hoi - ASEAN Secretary General - emphasized that improving the quality of education in the region should focus on both general education and vocational education, while promoting capacity for people to help them maximize their capabilities in the era of technology 4.0.

Adopt the roadmap of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for the changing world of work

Affirming that human resource development is one of the top three priorities of the ASEAN Community as stated in the ASEAN Charter, the Deputy Prime Minister said that activities are at different levels within each country between ASEAN countries and between ASEAN with strategic partners and cooperation partners are very focused on this and have had many specific activities and initiatives, in which the launch of the ASEAN Vocational Education Council is a vivid demonstration.

Such efforts need to be strongly and continuously promoted to be able to successfully implement the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development in a changing world of work, meeting the demands of manufacturing. new social future ”- Deputy Prime Minister affirmed.

According to Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, Vietnam has chosen human resource development as one of the priorities of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, contributing to promoting the development of the Community, Economy and enhancing ASEAN's adaptive proactive capacity.

In keeping with the priorities and themes of the 2020 ASEAN Presidents on a cohesive and proactive ASEAN Community, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung said the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam, the cooperation and active support of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam and the Ministers of Labor and Education of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat presided over the development and submission of the "ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for the changing world of work ”to the 36th ASEAN Summit adopted in June 2020. The Declaration demonstrates ASEAN's highest-level political commitments to human resource development.

Accordingly, the ASEAN Leaders assigned the ASEAN Ministers of Labor and Education to continue developping the ASEAN Human Resource Development Roadmap for a changing world of work in order to realize this important declaration through Practical and appropriate actions are incorporated in the work plans of the relevant specialized agencies.

During the special session of the conference, ASEAN Labor Ministers and ASEAN Education Ministers adopted the Roadmap for the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for the changing world of work. The adoption of this roadmap will add one more step to concretize and realize ASEAN's strategic commitments. This is also an important preparation step for the 37th ASEAN Summit.

At the same time, Vietnam affirmed its commitment to actively work closely with members and partners in implementing this roadmap to turn political commitments into reality, in order to create more opportunities. for workers for businesses and for an increasingly prosperous ASEAN Community.

Also within the framework of the conference, the ASEAN Vocational Education Council officially launched. Mr. HEIsidro Lapena - Secretary General and Director of TESDA Philippines, Chairman of the ASEAN Vocational Education Council - affirmed: "The launch of the ASEAN Vocational Education Council (TVET ASEAN) is one of the contents. ASEAN's important cooperation in education and training, towards the development of human resources in the ASEAN region, is also affirming, recognizing and supporting all members in the ASEAN region in cooperation to social economic development.