5th RECOTVET Regional Policy Dialogue on TVET

Overview

Regional cooperation in technical and vocation education and training (TVET) remains high on the agenda of many stakeholders in Southeast Asia and gains increasing importance due to manifold challenges for the economies of ASEAN Member States (AMS) where development of human resources and manpower is considered key to economic growth and integration in ASEAN and Southeast Asia. After the launch of the ASEAN Community, 2016 marked the beginning of the new timeframe for strategic planning in education and labour in Southeast Asia. In 2016, the Ministers of Education and the Ministers of Labour respectively adopted the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2016-2020 and the Work Plans of the ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM) and contributed towards a clear vision for ASEAN in the future, particularly in TVET development.  Similarly, the SEAMEO’s 7 Priority Areas and the Action Agenda 2016-2020 are guiding frameworks for cooperation in the region including on TVET, and are complementary to the efforts of ASEAN.

The German Development Cooperation is supporting regional harmonization and quality improvement in TVET through the RECOTVET programme that is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). In the last two years, GIZ`s RECOTVET programme has organized four Regional Policy Dialogues to discuss current challenges for TVET personnel development, quality assurance in TVET and the cooperation with the private sector in TVET and has co-hosted various regional conferences and working groups to develop and/or improve conditions that could lead to harmonisation in TVET in Southeast Asia.

The 5^th Regional Policy Dialogue is jointly organized by the ASEAN Secretariat and the GIZ-RECOTVET programme and is highlighting current trends and initiatives in TVET. The ASEAN Secretariat and GIZ-RECOTVET will take stock of the programme’s achievements in the past two years, reflect on the current initiatives and present an outlook for the coming years until 2020. At the centre of this Regional Policy Dialogue is the presentation of joint initiative and efforts that resulted from recommendations generated from previous Regional Policy Dialogues and Regional Working Groups under the GIZ-RECTOVET.

GIZ is supporting the AMS in the development of an ASEAN-wide competency profiles and standards for In-Company Trainers and TVET Teachers. Developed jointly with representatives from the AMS and the private sector, GIZ developed a draft framework for quality assurance in TVET and TVET personnel development which is planned to be presented to ASEAN SOM-ED and ASEAN SLOM for consideration.

Objectives

The 5^th Regional Policy Dialogue aims at:

1. Mapping out regional initiatives, approaches and gains on TVET as basis for furthering cooperation among ASEAN member states and regional actors;
2. Obtaining feedback on draft regional standards for TVET personnel and in-company trainers; and revising the drafts for submission to ASEAN SOM-ED and ASEAN SLOM;
3. Exchanging on national and regional good practices and identifying potentials and options for transfer;
4. Identifying cornerstones and elements of regional quality assurance models for TVET and TVET personnel;
5. Presenting a regional outlook for cooperation on TVET for 2017-2020

Proceedings

The RECOTVET Regional Policy Dialogue on TVET brings together TVET officials from the ASEAN member states, key regional and national TVET actors including the private sector from Southeast Asia and experts from Germany to jointly discuss the challenges of and opportunities for TVET development at the regional, national and intra-regional levels. In a 2-day Regional Policy Dialogue, participants will engage in discussions and exchanges on regional and national perspectives for TVET. The direct and continuous exchange between different stakeholders, government and non-government) is a key feature and at the core of this Regional Policy Dialogue including the previous ones.

Additionally, the sessions will draw upon evidence-based research from the Regional Cooperation Platform for Vocational Teacher Education and Training in Asia (RCP), and taking up discussion points and recommendations from the Regional TVET Conference in Vientiane 2015. The outcomes of the Policy Dialogue will facilitate the endorsement processes of the GIZ-RECOTVET programme outputs, gains and future plans with the ASEAN SOM-ED and/or SLOM in 2017.

Policy Dialogue Format

The first day of the 5^th Regional Policy Dialogue will set the tone and stock-take gains and remaining challenges.  It will focus on the following topics:

• Session 1 takes a look at the common vision for TVET harmonization in ASEAN and its current state of play including critical elements and conditions that need to be in place to move forward TVET harmonization.
• Session 2 focuses on the presentation of and obtaining feedback and input on the regionally-developed competency profiles for TVET Teachers and In-Company Trainers.
• Session 3 aims at mapping the link between regional and national efforts, and how regional knowledge benefits the AMS and learning is translated into meaningful country-specific action points. The session also traces how regional efforts on TVET is inspired and made more relevant through sharing of national cases and examples.

The second day will focus on take-away messages and prospects for the future including specific ideas and action points that could be taken up by the RECOTVET programme or similar regional initiatives for further development of TVET in ASEAN and Southeast Asia.

• Session 4 will present regional initiatives for quality assurance in TVET and TVET personnel development including success stories and replicable cases.
• Session 5 will provide a platform for discussion and exchange on the possible contributions by the RECOTVET programme on TVET development in ASEAN and Southeast Asia in the coming years.
• Session 6 gives an overview about the results of a regional study conducted by members of the Regional Cooperation Platform for Vocational Teacher Education and Training in Asia (RCP) on Public-Private Partnerships in TVET.

Participants

The GIZ-RECOTVET Regional Policy Dialogue on TVET will involve senior education and labour officials, regional policy-makers and participants from the private sector. Participants will come from relevant ministries (senior officials from Ministries of Education and Ministries of Labour) of ASEAN member states as well as relevant regional stakeholders from the ASEAN Secretariat (Education, Youth & Sports Division, and Social Welfare, Women, Labour & Migrant Division), SEAMEO, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, RAVTE, RCP and actors from German development cooperation, including TVET experts from Germany.