21st Century Skills for ASEAN
On March 17, 2015, Asia Society Philippines, in cooperation with the Asian Institute of Management ASEAN 2015 Project, hosted the Understanding ASEAN series Part 4: 21st Century Skills for ASEAN.
The fourth and final installment of the Understanding ASEAN series sought to explore the skills, job prospects and employment trends pertinent to the forthcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration later in 2015.
Professor Federico M. Macaranas moderated the panel discussion that included Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Country Director for the International Labour Organization (ILO), Catherine Q. Castañeda, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Adamson University Manila, Ma. Teresa R. Santos, Assistant to the Vice President at Ateneo de Manila University, and Maria Carolina V. Dominguez, President and CEO of John Clements Consultants, Inc. Additional remarks were provided by Elmer Talavera, Executive Director of the National Institute for Technical Education and Skills Development at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Key Takeaways:
• LAWRENCE JEFF JOHNSON clarified the distinction between decent work deficits, vulnerable employment, and unemployment in ASEAN, noting that 38% of jobs created in the region will not entail “decent work,” which typically includes a fair income, workplace security, and social protection. Mr. Johnson emphasized the need for transformative growth in the Philippines, with a focus towards teaching soft skills of leadership, teamwork, decision making, and accountability in the workplace. (click here for presentation)
• CATHERINE CASTAÑEDA echoed Mr. Johnson in highlighting the relevant skills and qualifications necessary for employment preparedness. In particular, she discussed the ASEAN Qualifications Framework, which purports to unify the quality and content of university education provided across ASEAN member countries. Ms. Castañeda further stressed the importance of “competencies” over grades, noting that the former may provide a more standardized overview of a person’s capabilities. Finally, Ms. Castañeda recommended that research, fiscal infrastructure improvements, and increased trans-national delivery modes, be made a priority for the Philippines and ASEAN in the months following AEC integration. (click here for presentation)
• MA. TERESA R. SANTOS continued the panel focus on education with her remarks on the local university response to AEC integration. She emphasized the need to advance the STEM field in the Philippines, in addition to integrating technology with education, and considering the portability of skills between ASEAN countries. Aside from curricular and program design improvements, Ms. Santos noted that a number of students select their destination of study prior to their chosen institution. As a result, Ms. Santos recommended that the Philippines strongly market not only its educational opportunities, but also other merits of its unique location and culture.
• MARIA CAROLINA V. DOMINGUEZ provided a private sector perspective to the discussion, focusing on the need to build more domestically owned companies in ASEAN. Citing the shift of the world’s largest economic growth centres to Asia by 2030, Ms. Dominguez noted that a burgeoning middle class and the combined strength of the ASEAN economy bode well for regional prospects. In a similar vein to previous panellists, however, Ms. Dominguez observed the crucial part that soft-skill development will play in ensuring that the Philippines is able to remain relevant in the forthcoming integration.
• ELMER TALAVERA closed the panel discussion with a summary of the abovementioned panel presentations. In addition, he urged the audience to consider the importance of existing policy frameworks (e.g. the ASEAN Open Distance Learning Law) and their potential to improve AEC integration. Finally, Mr. Talavera invited audience members to review the TESDA requirements for competency certifications, resonating panel sentiments on the importance of competency standards.
During the Open Forum that followed, participants raised queries on the fast-track approval of courses in the Philippines, labour issues in ASEAN, the preparedness of Generation Y for AEC integration, and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in AEC’s mandate.
Understanding ASEAN is a four-part series that aims to explore the opportunities and challenges through a multi-dimensional series of programs. Media partners are ANC, Business Mirror, Business World, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, Malaya Business Insight, 99.5 Play FM, 9 News, China Daily, DZAR 1026 SMNI Radio and WheninManila.com.
Reported by Avanti Narayanan.
Presentation Materials:
VIDEO: ASEAN Connectivity – Progress on People to People Connectivity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQOL8nc4kQw
PRESENTATIONS:
- Lawrence Jeff Johnson, Country Director for the International Labour Organization (ILO)
- Catherine Q. Castañeda, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Adamson University Manila
- Ma. Teresa R. Santos, Assistant to the Vice President at Ateneo de Manila University
- Maria Carolina V. Dominguez, President and CEO of John Clements Consultants, Inc.
PODCAST Interview with Suyin Liu Lee, Executive Director, Asia Society Philippines: http://bit.ly/1FHtWGi