Upskilling for shared prosperity in Southeast Asia

PwC (2023) - Southeast Asia has enormous skilled labour potential, and is home to the third-largest labour force in the world that is predominantly young. However, the region also faces the risk of leaving this potential untapped if it fails to create quality employment opportunities. It is critical that the region’s workforce is equipped with the skills needed to shift to higher-value added jobs.

Technologies are constantly being updated, creating a demand for a continually-improving workforce that is able to keep up with the changing digital landscape. Given the pressing urgency for nations to mitigate climate change by transitioning to a net-zero economy, a key part of this transition will require creating upskilling opportunities for green jobs.

Southeast Asia’s workforces will need to upskill with new digital and sustainability skills and capabilities to reap the wealth potential and benefits of upskilling employees across sectors. Upskilling not only mitigates the structural unemployment resulting from skills mismatches but also bridges socio-economic gaps in knowledge and skills.