Singapore will soon take over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) technical and vocational education and training (TVET) Council (ATC).
This as the country is set to finally end its two-year term as the inaugural chair of the ATC this week.
The turnover ceremony will be held at the latter part of the Second ATC Meeting, which is being hosted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on November 17 and 18 at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City.
Singapore will chair the ATC from 2022-2024.
During the initial part of the event, TESDA will discuss the status of the implementation of the ATC Work Plan 2021-2030 with its ASEAN member-states.
ASEAN member states are also expected to give their fresh commitments to enforce the workplan during the session.
“Among the agenda of the meeting will be the follow-up actions taken following the 1st ATC Meeting held virtually on March 10, 2021, and the Chair’s engagement with relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies and external partners,” TESDA said in a statement issued last Wednesday.
The ATC is currently chaired by TESDA Director General Danilo P. Cruz. Even after the end of his chairmanship of the ATC, Cruz said TESDA will continue to advocate for the improvement in the TVET programs in ASEAN so it could be responsive to the changing requirements of the private sector.
“The Philippines, through TESDA, will continue working closely with our ASEAN counterparts to make TVET more relevant, accessible, and responsive to the challenges brought by the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Cruz said,
The ATC meeting will also have open session, wherein external partners from Australia, India, the United Kingdom, International Labour Organization (ILO), the German government’s Regional Cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training for ASEAN (RECOTVET), and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will be able to participate in.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido E, Laguesma is set to deliver a keynote message for the said event.