(Photo courtesy of TESDA)
MANILA – Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez has urged Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to strengthen technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs to prepare workers for rapidly changing labor market demands.
Speaking at the ASEAN TVET Council Regional Policy Dialogue in Makati City on Thursday, Benitez emphasized the importance of adapting skills development initiatives to technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation.
He noted that these developments are reshaping job requirements across industries, making closer cooperation among education, labor and economic sectors essential.
“We need to future-proof our efforts while staying true to our obligations and responsibility that this transition is both just and inclusive,” Benitez said.
The TESDA chief also pushed for a common regional framework that would allow skills and qualifications obtained in one ASEAN country to be recognized in another.
He stressed that improving cross-border recognition of competencies would help skilled workers pursue employment opportunities throughout Southeast Asia while respecting individual countries’ regulations.
Benitez cited the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework, mutual recognition arrangements and other regional skills recognition initiatives as existing mechanisms supporting the alignment of qualifications and assessment standards.
He also highlighted the importance of conducting midterm reviews of the ASEAN Human Resource Development Roadmap to assess progress, identify gaps and determine necessary adjustments in regional workforce development strategies.
Beyond qualifications recognition, Benitez called for stronger regional labor market intelligence, including comparable data on skills supply and demand, workforce assessments and methods for anticipating emerging employment trends.
He said sharing labor market information among ASEAN countries would allow member states to respond more effectively to changing industry needs.
“Ultimately, we must move towards a more integrated ASEAN labor market where skills can travel across borders while respecting national regulations and where it becomes even easier for skilled workers to access opportunities across the region,” Benitez said.
The TESDA chief emphasized that stronger regional coordination would be essential to ensuring that workforce development initiatives remain relevant, inclusive and responsive to the evolving demands of the global economy.
