Regional : Education and Skills for Inclusive Growth and Green Jobs

Education / Technical and vocational education and training - Tertiary

The TA will contribute to improved knowledge and enhanced capacity in DMCs in preparing an adequate skill base to support growth and employment objectives in the context of middle income economies. It will help to address the skills needs for competitiveness in key sectors, including emerging green skills. The regional TA will assist DMCs to put in place timely and effective policies and strategies to meet emerging demands for skills in selected industries that have high growth, high employment and high greening potential. Extensive dialogue and networking will be facilitated between the public sector, business/sector councils, industry associations and employee associations to assess gaps in policy and practice for skill development and development of appropriate skill forecasting tools to anticipate future needs. The TA will address both technology oriented high-end skills as well as low-end skills to integrate poor and middle income target groups into high growth sectors in middle income economies that face the challenge of moving up the value chain to sustain growth rates and ensure inclusion for the population.

While a common methodology and approach will be used across the four countries proposed in this TA, the in-depth country reports will respond to the specific context of each country and take into account the economic growth, structural transformation and transition to green economies policies priorities articulated by the countries. Education and training institutions will become aware of best practices on curricula and training approaches to respond to skill needs in key industries. The TA will address industries with potential for high employment, growth and greening' (eg, building and construction, transport, waste management, energy and hospitality). Countries proposed for this TA are India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Uzbekistan (four of these five countries will participate in this RETA in agreement with the respective governments).

Important concerns for Asia to maintain growth rates include increasing employment, facilitating technology absorption for global competitiveness and curbing rising inequality. Economies need to deepen skill levels to serve knowledge based industries and broaden opportunities for skill development in new and emerging technology areas, particularly for poor and middle income groups, women and disadvantaged students, to realise higher employment benefits and inclusive growth.

Asian economies are experiencing the co-existence of unemployment, labor shortages and skill mismatches. These are symptomatic of education and training systems not being in step with skill needs of high growth sectors and the world of work. Reducing the skills mismatch and increasing employment opportunities, particularly for the youthful population of Asia, is a key concern that education and training institutions need to address.

Sustaining economic growth without compromising the environment is a policy challenge that Asia has begun to address. There is growing awareness that green growth approaches are economically and politically feasible and profitable. A number of studies forecast more green' jobs, estimated to reach 100 million worldwide by 2030. Inadequate availability of a skill base could constrain the transition to greener economies and corporations.

1. Labor market needs, skills mismatch and demand for skills for jobs, including green occupations in selected industries in four countries analyzed.

2. Lessons learnt from global best practices of skills development systems in industry-specific environments documented.

3. Recommendations for policy and strategy options for skills for jobs for men and women, including green jobs, prepared and disseminated in four countries.

4. Recommendations for strengthening the participation of women and disadvantaged youth in skill training for improved job prospects, including the green occupations, prepared in four countries.