This presentation from Mr. Darjusch Tafreschi from GIZ RECOTVET for the 12th meeting of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Policy Network on Education and Skills provides insights of a recent project on upskilling and reskilling in ASEAN countries. It also shows upcoming work on a toolkit targeted to women who experience challenges in entering or staying in the labour market.

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RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING
IN ASEAN COUNTRIES
Dr. Darjusch Tafreschi
GIZ RECOTVET
November 30th, 2022

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Re/upskilling mapping in ASEAN
• What is the definition of skills, upskilling, reskilling in the countries/ ASEAN region?
What are the characteristics?
• Who are the target groups and how are they identified?
• How do stakeholders in ASEAN evaluate the skill needs? How do they make the
skills anticipation approaches at micro, meso (region or sector), macro dimension
and at the industry or occupation level?
• What are the national/regional mechanisms supporting a reduction of the
mismatch?
• What are your recommendations and proposals for upskilling and reskilling both
existing workforce and unemployed workers?
• What are the best practices from the ongoing exemplary projects/initiatives in
ASEAN countries?
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Re/upskilling mapping in ASEAN
Key findings
➢ Many countries in ASEAN and worldwide recognize the importance and urgency of
upskilling and reskilling their workforce. However, there have not been a shared
guidance or schedule within the region.
➢ The priority target group should be people who have education level up to TVET
(especially women) because their jobs are more in risk of being automated and
replaced.
➢ Upskilling and reskilling interventions are not yet based on a shared set of criteria and
joint understanding of most suitable modalities.
➢ Companies regularly implement upskilling/reskilling programmes with their own
resources. Where governments address issues in one specific sector, they tend to
partner with multiple companies.
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Re/upskilling mapping in ASEAN
Key findings
➢ Reskilling/upskilling activities should strongly connect with labour market information
➢ Skill anticipation methods
Commonly used in ASEAN:
▪ regular national labour force surveys
▪ sporadic on-demand surveys focusing on specific skills needs
Recommended to utilize in coming time:
▪ Labour market information systems using data from centres, public employment services
▪ Skills forecasting based on trend lines of evolution with simulation of technological changes
▪ Technology and skills foresight using participative approaches (workshops, interviews, etc.)
▪ Big data and artificial intelligence to analyse key words, texts in documents, websites, etc.
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Re/upskilling mapping in ASEAN
Recommendations
➢ A multi-skills approach is recommended, integrating as much as possible a set of cognitive,
core and functional skills in order to satisfy short term needs as well as to support lifelong
learning.
➢ Modalities of successful upskilling/reskilling interventions can vary (e.g., purpose, objectives,
content, duration, partners, etc.), but must include preparation (selection of participants, orientation)
and support after intervention (e.g., coaching, counselling, financing for new activities, etc.).
➢ Monitoring and evaluation systems have to be prepared before the intervention starts and should
include the assessment of the new skills at work, the impact on the organisation and the learner and,
depending on the dimension of the intervention, the review of other criteria such as relevance,
coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the intervention. Data should be
disaggregated to allow review of participation and results for specific target groups (such as female
workers).
➢ The learning process should apply a learner-centred pedagogy and be flexible by using the four
main formats: group training, internet-based learning (online training, e-learning), work-based
learning, individual coaching. A modular approach is recommended.
➢ The financing of upskilling/reskilling interventions should be, as much as possible, integrated in
existing TVET financing systems to support sustainability, with significant involvement of employers
and co-financing through public-private partnerships.
➢ Skills gained should be assessed and recognised by both the employer and the national system.
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Approaches of the companies to re/upskilling
➢ Large companies look for solutions and are willing to
implement re/upskilling regularly with their own
resources. Many of them give efforts establish own
training centers and build up capacity for in-company
trainers, or actively cooperate with public sector and
external training centers.
➢ SMEs need support from different sources in
re/upskilling, especially from existing public and private
TVET institutions.
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Cases study of re/upskilling in ASEAN
➢ The review of 10 cases in the five countries shows that there is a large variety
in terms of purpose, partners, target groups, and modalities of
upskilling/reskilling interventions, with durations varying from a few days to a
few months.
➢ Their common denominator is the significant impact of skills development on
the present or future job opportunities of the persons concerned, although most
cases did not conduct a thorough impact assessment.
➢ Existing public and private TVET institutions are key players for
upskilling/reskilling provision with, depending on the context, the support of in-
company trainers.
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Cases study of re/upskilling in ASEAN
Case Country Stakeholders Target Group Learning Method Occupations/Skills gained No. of
participants
(by 2021)
% female
participants
Case 1 Cambodia Public Hospitality and
returning migrant
workers affected by
Covid-19
Online and onsite
training
Electricity, Auto-mechanic,
hospitality and restaurants
133 16.5%
Case 2 Indonesia Public-private Workers with non-
linear educational
background
Onsite Garments and textile 1488 70%
Case 3 Indonesia Public-private Workers with age of
18-24 years old
Online and onsite Fashion, garment,
administrative, marketing
2763 72.9%
Case 4 Philippines Public-private Women micro-
entrepreneurs
Online and onsite Entrepreneurship and gender
sensitivity
250,000 100%
Case 5 Philippines Development
organisation
Women with basic
digital skills
Online and onsite Remote data annotator 280
(in 2020-2021)
100%
Case 6 Thailand Development
organisation
Women operators Online and onsite Soft skills and data analytics 1050
(in 2019)
100%
Case 7 Thailand Public Farmers Onsite New farming methods 870 70%
Case 8 Thailand Public Self-employed/
unemployed
Online Beauty and health business,
food service, hospitality, etc.
9289 70%
Case 9 Viet Nam Development
organisation
Female victims of
gender-based
violence
Onsite Financial management and
marketing in SMEs, gender
knowledge, etc.
1359 100%
Case 10 Viet Nam Public -
Development
organisation
Workers affected by
Covid-19
Onsite Mechatronics, automotive
maintenance, industrial
electronics
1166 11.0%
Source: RECOTVET (2022). Reskilling and Upskilling in ASEAN through a gender lens (Full report to be published by early 2023 on Publications (sea-vet.net))

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Developing a Toolbox for Re/Upskilling in ASEAN
with a gender-transformative approach
To support decision makers in the ASEAN region who plan/implement and evaluate (with the aim to
improve further) gender-sensitive interventions for all genders to implement the right skills
development that leads maximum productivity gains and adaption to increasingly digitalized work
environment, and allow for scaling but also adjustments where needed
Objectives
Private sector (BMOs and companies)
Company managers, often HR managers
Project managers and staff implementing projects
Target users
• Toolbox in a digital format that can work across the ASEAN region
• Toolbox(es) that are customized at the country levels
• Training courses for selected business members in a hybrid format
Tentative deliverables
The Philippines, Viet Nam
and one more country to
be defined
Countries
* BMOs: Business Membership Organisations
Conceptualised
and partners
engaged
Progress

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Developing a Toolbox for Re/Upskilling in ASEAN
Tentative structure
Domain 1
Strategies at
sectoral and
company levels
Domain 2
Analysis of
skills needs
and gaps
Domain 3
Modalities of
US/RS
implementati
on
Domain 4
Monitoring,
evaluation
and follow up
Domain 5
Recognition
Domain 6
Financing
Entry point Content Areas
• User assessment(s)
based on
➢Project cycle
stages
➢Professional
perspectives
Cross-cutting
topics
• Definition of RS/US
• Priority target groups
• Priority skills to be
developed
Domain 1
Strategies at
sectoral and
company levels
Domain 2
Analysis of
skills needs and
gaps
Domain 3
Modalities of
RS/US*
implementation
Domain 4
Monitoring,
evaluation and
follow up
Domain 5
Recognition
* RS/US: Reskilling and Upskilling

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Understanding behavioral bottlenecks
of reskilling and upskilling for women in ASEAN
• To analyze the social norms that influence behavioral dimensions and reskilling-upskilling
decisions of policy makers and female workers/TVET learners in ASEAN countries;
• To provide recommendations on policies/pilots to address the social norms and resulting behaviors
by all genders, in order to empower female workers/learners through re/upskilling to reach
decent employment, increased income and to harness the employment opportunities of 4IR.
Public and private sector (HR managers, firm owners;
TVET schools, ministries responsible for TVET; female
TVET students, unemployed and self-employed women)
• Research paper (behavioral barriers and analysis, recommendations,
testable hypothesis and suitable pilot design)
• Policy brief (summarizing key findings and recommendations)
• Stakeholder workshop (sharing results and identifying follow-up
activities)
Tentative deliverables
Indonesia, the Philippines, Viet Nam and 2
more countries to be defined
Countries
Objectives
Scope
Selecting expert
team to conduct
the research
Progress

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Thank you for your attention
Dr. Darjusch Tafreschi
Head of Component TVET Policy and Labour Market
The German Government’s Regional Cooperation for TVET in ASEAN
(RECOTVET)
Email: darjusch.tafreschi@giz.de