Skills development issues, challenges, and strategies in Asia and the Pacific

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are very different in size, economic growth and resource endowment. Differences in the levels of economic development impact on every aspect of life, including employment, labour force considerations, education and training. The growing prominence of Asian economies and corporations, together with globalisation and technological innovation, is leading to long-term changes in trade, business and labour markets. Therefore, technical and vocational skills shall be the key focus for these countries to align skills development strategies with socioeconomic goals. This chapter mainly defined the meaning and importance of skills development for employability (TVET). Successful stories in TVET in different regions were introduced. Key issues for TVET in the Asia-Pacific region were raised, including public–private partnership, national qualification framework, green growth and skills development for employability, vocationalisation of education and soft skills development. This chapter calls for an improved framework for skills development in the region. Copyright © 2013 Asian Development Bank. The book is published with open access at SpringerLink.com.