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

The ASEAN Declaration on Human Resource Development for the Changing World of Work was submitted for endorsement at the 36th ASEAN Summit in June, demonstrating ASEAN's political commitment at the highest level on this problem. The Declaration is the work result of the ASEAN Ministries of Labor and Education and the ASEAN Secretariat. It combines human resource development with lifelong learning, emphasizing that education must ensure no one is left behind and the importance of cooperation between the State, enterprises and job training institutions. do.

On September 16, the ASEAN Ministers of Labor and Education Conference on Human Resource Development for the changing world of work was held in the form of a live online integration. The conference was chaired by the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs (Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Training. This is the first conference to be held with the participation of both the ASEAN Labor Minister and the ASEAN Education Minister.

At this special session, the conference adopted the ASEAN roadmap on "Human Resource Development for the Changing World of Work" and launched the ASEAN Vocational Education Council.

Arousing creativity, adapting to change

At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that the world has been undergoing major changes including digital transformation, industrial revolution 4.0, non-traditional and direct security issues. Currently the most epidemic.

More manufacturing, more production methods will be replaced. Workers will be fired and new jobs, new ways and new jobs will be born.

Many studies have shown that in the next 10-15 years, about 1/3 of current jobs will be replaced by machines, artificial intelligence; About 40% of global workers will have to add new skills to meet job requirements. This rate in ASEAN is even higher. A study by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in five ASEAN countries forecasts that 56% of jobs in these countries could be severely affected, even replaced by automation in the next few decades.

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 are 480 million jobs lost, the figure in the ASEAN region is over 42 million. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, before the Covid-19 epidemic in the world, the Asia-Pacific region and ASEAN had many forums at all levels to discuss human resource development during the 4.0 industrial revolution. .

"At what level, these forums are affirmed to promote educational innovation so that all young people must be encouraged, inspired, creative and trained to adapt to change" - Deputy Thu General confirmed.

For Asian countries, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it is extremely important to encourage innovative thinking, promote the new, "not only follow" but still keep the traditional rules. In addition to in-school education, special attention should be paid to adult education, lifelong learning, knowledge dissemination for all people, all classes, and all ages to quickly access and participate. 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 human resources to help them maximize their capabilities in the era of technology 4.0.

Attaching importance to partnerships in human resource development

Discussing at the meeting, Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung said that Vietnam always attaches great importance to partnership in human resource development. Therefore, Vietnam has joined the ASEAN countries to focus on building, promoting and effectively implementing many forms of partnership on human resource development through various channels of cooperation, including public-private partnerships. ; cooperation between interdisciplinary fields in each country; cooperation at the regional level; strengthen cooperation between each member country and the whole ASEAN bloc with bilateral and multilateral partners.

In the changing employment trend, Vietnam is interested in promoting cooperation between the Government and the private sector, between the business sector and the system of education and training institutions. The vocational training development strategy of Vietnam has proposed solutions to link vocational training with the labor market and the participation of enterprises, step by step completing the regulations so that enterprises are the subject of education. vocational education, participating in all stages of the training.

Agreeing with the above point of view, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha assessed that the biggest challenge facing ASEAN today is how to develop a high-quality workforce in the context of rapidly changing science and technology, with strong impacts on the economy, job market and essential skill requirements. Accordingly, on the transition to a digital economy, improving skills and improving the quality of human resources is an urgent requirement of all countries. However, the success of an education is not merely the student's rate, the graduate's rate, the learners' ability to find jobs or positions in international rankings, but also growth. sustainable and long-term, the willingness to take risks, the capacity for innovation and creativity of workers.

Faced with these challenges, the ASEAN economic community has agreed to sign agreements for mutual recognition of skilled workers at all levels. The network of Southeast Asian universities was established in 1995 under the agreement of the ASEAN Education Ministers. Up to now, it has grown to include 30 official member universities from 10 countries, of which 3 Vietnamese universities. This is a big milestone in the equitable recognition of the quality of labor among ASEAN countries.

At the same time, Vietnam affirms its commitment to actively work closely with members and partners in the implementation of 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 in the framework of the conference, the ASEAN Vocational Education Council officially launched. Mr. HEIsidro Lapena - Secretary General and Director of TESDA Philippines, Chairman of ASEAN Vocational Education Council - affirmed: “The launch of ASEAN Vocational Education Council (TVET ASEAN) is one of the important cooperation contents. ASEAN's emphasis in the field of education and training, towards the development of human resources in the ASEAN region, is also affirming, recognizing and supporting all ASEAN members to cooperate in social economic development.