|
Southeast Asia is confronted with significant labour market challenges. The region is growing at a rapid pace, industry is becoming more diversified, and job requirements are demanding more complex and sophisticated skills. This initiative aims to address the issues of employment and skills, especially through an interaction platform for members (https://community.oecd.org/community/esssa - click to register & join).
The Southeast Asia region
The region of Southeast Asia includes the countries geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. As the region enjoys significant growth and development, major challenges are arising for their labour markets.
Inflows and outflows of migrant workers are creating imbalances in the labour market and putting pressure on local economies. Human resources and skills development strategies must adjust to change and shift their focus towards contemporary problems and issues, such as the need to upgrade the skills of the low-qualified, to integrate immigrants into the labour market, and to attract and retain talent.
The situation has been compounded by the recent financial crisis and the falling global demand for products and services produced in the region.
Many of these issues have to be addressed locally, through joined-up strategies that recognise the inter-linkages between diverse local opportunities and challenges. Many of the challenges can only be addressed through a coherent policy framework in which national strategies are linked to decentralized decision making that address local opportunities and challenges.
A joint OECD-ILO initiative
As part of its ongoing studies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified many pilot projects in Sotheast Asia which embrace skills upgrading and the integration of the disadvantaged into the workforce and seek innovatively to tackle issues around the flight of talent.
The OECD and its LEED Programme (responsible for local economic and employment development) is already engaged in a policy dialogue on the governance of employment and skills with Asian economies who have expressed a growing interest in decentralisation, partnership and local employment and skills strategies.
In recognition of the complex form that these strategies must take in order to support a sustainable and equitable recovery, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the OECD are working together to help government institutions and other agencies to share their experiences and engage in a process of mutual learning.
Outcomes will be supported by the results of joint work by ILO and OECD carried out under ESSSA. Examples of joint work include background research on national and local initiatives, the results of a dedicated survey on employment and skills development policies in the region and other work to provide guidance on ways to rebuild sustainable employment at the local level.
Objectives
This initiative on "Employment and Skills Strategies in Southeast Asia" aims to:
-
Foster the exchange of experience relating to employment and skills development.
-
Identify innovative policies and practices in the region.
-
Generate guidance and recommendations.
It responds to the need expressed by OECD member countries and neighbouring economies to learn more from the region’s experience and to share policy lessons.
Participating countries
Expected participating countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia. The initiative is open to other Southeast Asian countries; neighbouring economies and other OECD and non-OECD countries.
Intended participants
Participants who are envisinged to participate in the initiative include local governments, employment services, training institutions, key partners in local development strategies (including representatives of national governments, employers' and workers' organisations, and selected research/support organisations), international development agencies (multilateral and bilateral) and ILO and OECD staff. Priority will be given to local and national economic development practitioners.
Contact
For further information, please contact Cristina Martinez-Fernandez (OECD, Policy Analyst on local governance and employment).
|
