Economic diversification requires a critical mass of skilled technicians in respective fields, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) play an instrumental role in developing Asia. Furthermore, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, international travel restrictions were imposed, and the government in respective countries realized that developing and maintaining a minimum number of national skilled labor is important from the national security point of view. Governments have high expectations of TVET, but TVET faces challenges such as social stigma, shortage of skilled instructors, and insufficient industry partnership.

Knowledge transfer from successful TVET models in Asia could inspire policymakers to think outside the box.

The building blocks of TVET are well known but mostly based upon successful cases in Europe, such as Germany’s dual training programs. While there is a lot to learn from successful TVET history and practices in Europe, different TVET pathways exist in East Asia such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Korea. The East Asian good practices, however, are not necessarily well understood, and this webinar disseminated key findings of the recent ADB technical study to close the knowledge gap.

This webinar aimed to motivate policymakers in Asia to explore different TVET models and come up with new ways of TVET delivery that best suit their own country context.