EU and ASEAN strengthen cooperation on Labour Market Insight for TVET
More than 150 participants from government, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and the private sector from Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam joined the first Labour Market Insight workshop under the EU–ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education Programme (SCOPE-HE).
Held virtually under the theme “Foundations of Labour Market Insight”, the workshop focused on strengthening understanding of how labour market information can be analysed and interpreted to support TVET planning, skills development and more evidence-based decision-making, particularly as the green transition and digital transformation reshape labour market needs.
Opening the workshop on behalf of the Chair of the ASEAN TVET Council, Dr Rangsan Thepmondhri, Director of the Public Sector Development Group of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Ministry of Education, Thailand, highlighted the importance of turning labour market information into meaningful insight. “Across ASEAN, we have made progress in developing and using labour market information. However, challenges remain in connecting and analysing data and, importantly, translating it into meaningful insights to support policy and skills development,” he said.
Dr Rangsan noted that strengthening the use of labour market information is also a priority under the ASEAN TVET Council Work Plan. He encouraged participating ASEAN Member States to share experiences and perspectives and emphasised the value of cooperation among government, education and training institutions, industry and other stakeholders.
Mr Jérôme Pons, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to ASEAN, highlighted the importance of interpreting labour market data to understand emerging skills needs and inform decisions. “We not only need data – of course we do – but we also need to be able to interpret those data. We want to know what is happening in the labour market, understand where needs are emerging, and translate that knowledge into decisions. This is where Labour Market Insight becomes particularly relevant,” he said.
Mr Pons also linked the discussion to the EU’s Global Gateway, highlighting the importance of strong links between TVET and the labour market in preparing people with the skills needed as green and digital transformations reshape economies and the world of work.
The workshop introduced Labour Market Information systems and their functions, explored the labour market impacts of the green and digital transitions, and began mapping current Labour Market Insight capacities. It also started the process of establishing a regional community of practice to support continued learning and exchange.
The event was the first in a series of four SCOPE-HE Labour Market Insight workshops planned between 2026 and 2027. The series will include one virtual and three in-person workshops focusing on curriculum development, skills forecasting and foresight, and policy design.
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About ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 and constitutes eleven Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste. On 31 December 2015, the ASEAN Community was formally established, encompassing the political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars. The ASEAN Headquarters is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, visit https://asean.org/
About the European Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States with a population of 470 million. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world's largest trading bloc, and the world's largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.
The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
For more information about the EU and its relations and cooperation with ASEAN, access: http://eeas.europa.eu/asean
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About SCOPE-HE Programme
The EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) is a collaborative initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and approved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), running from February 2024 to January 2028 with a budget of EUR 9.3 million. Implemented by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
The SCOPE-HE programme focuses on enhancing exchanges and connectivity in higher education, research, and technical and vocational education and training within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the EU, with particular emphasis on the green transition, digital transformation, and the blue economy. Key activities include facilitating student and academic mobility, strengthening university networks to foster research collaboration, and improving graduate employability by connecting vocational education institutions with the private sector. Through these efforts, SCOPE-HE aims to create a more connected and dynamic higher education landscape, empowering future generations and strengthening the economic and social fabric of the region.
For more information about the SCOPE-HE programme, access: https://nuffic.nl/scope-he/