Collaboration project encouraging improvement of technical and vocational education and training

Siriporn Parvikam, Programme Component Manager, GIZ

From equal access to education, to poverty reduction and climate change mitigation, digital innovations are more important than ever in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving people's living conditions, changing the framework conditions, providing cross-border networking and opening up new avenues for action.

With the Germany-ASEAN co-operation on vocational education development, the Standard for In-Company Trainers in ASEAN Countries is certainly one of GIZ's most notable prior accomplishments in this field. In the case of Thailand, it has been put into actual practice as national professional standard by the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute (public organisation) in cooperation with other organisations. GTCC plays a key role in supporting in-company trainers and the dual vocational education and training.

As for the current outstanding outcome among the technological changes in industry which lead to Industry 4.0, the Regional TVET Teacher Standard for ASEAN and TVET teachers training are essential in ensuring that new knowledge acquisition of instructors is consistent with the industrial context.

UPDATE interviewed Ms. Siriporn Parvikam, Programme Component Manager, Regional Cooperation Programme for TVET in ASEAN (GIZ/RECOTVET) on the potential for a better technical and vocational education and training system in Thailand and close collaboration with GTDEE in assisting young students to develop specialised knowledge, skills and managerial competence.

What is the background of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) personnel development project, the TVET personnel as part of the co-operation between Germany-Thailand and ASEAN?

The co-operation between Germany and Thailand on vocational education is the first collaborative project to be established in Thailand. Germany places a strong focus on vocational education and recently prioritised regional co-operation initiatives, particularly in ASEAN. As a result, RECOTVET received financial assistance from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development in the project's third phase. The project’s objectives are to (a) promote human resource development and regional organisation development, (b) strengthen partners’ capacities to use labour market information for evidence-based TVET policy, and (c) enhance the efficiency of the vocational education system and ASEAN regional training in order to cope with technological transition in the digital era (d) strengthen the involvement of the private sector in TVET.

As an expert, from your perspective, how will the TVET personnel and approaches to ASEAN connectivity for the standardised competencies of TVET teachers and in-company trainers help to reduce the knowledge gap? In other words, what is the current status of the operation and execution of teacher upskilling in vocational education?

TVET teachers and in-company trainers both play a critical roles in technical and vocational education and training in connection with the labour market demands and rapidly changing technology. To raise the competence of personnel in vocational education is consequently an urgent necessity for ASEAN countries.

As a result, the project has been extended to design with partners up-to-date and high-demand short term trainings for TVET personnel in ASEAN countries in the Industry 4.0 era on the development and exploration of necessary digital competence and other skills that are required to keep up with fast-paced technological progress in the digital world. We coordinate with technical and vocational training institutions, universities, and regional and international cooperation organisations in improving existing trainings, and share their experience, knowledge, and current demand for professional skills and digital competencies in their respective countries.

The initiative also welcomes technical and vocational training specialists from Germany and SEAMEO VOCTECH to discuss their knowledge and experience of vocational personnel competency in professional fields connected to digital transformation in both Germany and the ASEAN region.

Germany places a strong focus on vocational education and recently prioritised regional co-operation initiatives, particularly in ASEAN.

For those who are interested in joining the TVET personnel programme, how could they find more information and contact?

Interested vocational personnel can ask for details about participating in the project at https://www.thai-german-cooperation.info/ th/regional-cooperation-for-the-development -of-technical-and-vocational-education-andtraining-recotvet-iii/

“TVET stakeholders attended the virtual technical workshop for enhancing digital competencies and professional skills for TVET personnel in ASEAN.”

Contact details: Siriporn Parvikam Programme Component Manager Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Tel: +66 2 943 2912 siriporn.parvikam@giz.de https://www.thai-german-cooperation .info/th/

Interviewed by GTCC Team