In a
classroom lined with computers, unemployed youth in Jakarta, Indonesia learn
HTML and JavaScript programming for designing websites. This training
program is part of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Japan
Vocational Ability Development Association (JAVADA) initiative to upgrade
human resources in the region by providing vocational training in
collaboration with the private sector.
Public-private
vocational training model
“The goal
of our training program is to help individuals improve their status in
society by acquiring new skills and enabling them to participate in the
growing economy,” explained Kazumitsu Takahashi, who manages the project as
Chief Officer for Technical Cooperation on Vocational Training, Overseas
Cooperation Division of the Human Resources Development Bureau at the
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan.
“Our
program collaborates with local Japanese-affiliated firms on the ground in
APEC member economies. The firms supply both the training and the
facilities. This model also helps ensure the skills meet the needs of the
private sector, and in turn, increases the employability of the trainee,”
added Takahashi.
In 2015, as
APEC prioritizes human capital development and equitable growth for all
members of society, this public-private vocational training project—which
has been running for eighteen years—shows the benefits of APEC’s efforts to
boost workforce capacity in the Asia-Pacific.
As an
outcome of the APEC
Human Resources Development Framework adopted by Ministers in 1994, the
APEC
Human Resources Development Working Group launched the vocational
training project in 1996. Over
the last eighteen years, the project has trained 16,533 participants in ten
APEC economies, including recently in Chile, Indonesia,
Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. As a result of the
course work, many students either procured better jobs or launched
entrepreneurial ventures.
New
web skills, new jobs for Indonesia
In Jakarta,
Indonesia, around three-quarters of the trainees who attended the web
design classes at the Matsushita Gobel Institute in 2014, went on to find a
job or start their own company.
The
Matsushita Gobel Institute, established to cultivate Indonesia’s human
resource base, is part of the Matsushita Gobel Foundation affiliated with
Panasonic, a Japanese multinational company.
“The
Indonesian government is focusing on developing small and medium
enterprises (SMEs),” explained Aviana Tjokro, Executive Director of the
Matsushita Gobel Foundation-Matsushita Gobel Institute in Jakarta. “As part
of this goal, the Matsushita Gobel Institute is helping supply workforce
training to support and stimulate SME development in Indonesia.”
“In 2014,
we developed a new curriculum for web design and programming,” added
Tjokro.
Initiated
in 1979 through the shared vision of Konosuke Matsushita, founder of
Panasonic, and Thayeb M. Gobel, founder of the Panasonic Group in
Indonesia, the Matsushita Gobel Institute has educated more than 65,000
people—helping to improve labor readiness in Indonesia. As part of the APEC
vocational training project, the Institute has offered courses on
mechanical engineering and electronics, information technology, and basic
manufacturing since 1999.
Low-income
community in Chile gets skills
On the other
side of the Pacific, in the remote farming region of La Araucania in Chile,
south of Santiago, unemployed youth received hands-on training for
industrial skills required to operate a water treatment plant. As
part of the APEC project, the course was organized by Aguas Araucania, a
private company that manages production and distribution of potable water
as well as collection and treatment of wastewater in La Araucania.
“The
Araucania region lacks skilled labor for many of our lines of work,” said
Jose Torga, Regional Manager of Aguas Araucania, owned by parent company
Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese conglomerate, and Innovation Network
Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
“The region
is one of the lowest-income communities in Chile and it is difficult for us
to find qualified and knowledgeable staff,” added Torga. “Subsequently, we
decided to create a course to train students as industrial operators, thus
providing the skills for the local workforce to apply for various jobs in
our region.”
The course
was divided into three levels: basic industrial operator, industrial
operator for the production of drinking water and industrial operator for
the distribution of potable water.
“The idea
was that, at the end of the course, the students would understand the whole
process involved to obtain, produce and deliver clean water to the
community. The competencies taught in the training course are also
applicable to other industries as the course offered know-how on industrial
instruments, industrial sites, regulations, procedures and security
protocols,” explained Torga.
46
individuals received coaching on industrial operations for drinking water
and potable water treatment in 2013 and 43 per cent have gone on to secure
jobs in this sector.
Win-win
situation: better livelihoods
Across the
Asia-Pacific, the APEC vocational project has been upgrading the region’s
human capital to meet industry needs. In the Philippines, CBK Power Company
trained 305 participants in welding, electrical wiring and electronics in
2009. In Peru in 2009 and 2010, Toyota Del Peru offered instruction
to 187 students on vehicle diagnostics and electronics while in Mexico,
Toyota Motor Sales taught courses for 227 individuals on sales techniques,
communication and ways to capture new customers.
“It’s a win-win
situation for both the private firms giving the courses and the students
receiving the coaching,” said Takahashi. “The firms get a workforce with
the necessary skills and the students get better jobs.”
“In the
long-run, by nurturing labor skills and improving livelihoods, the people
and economies of the Asia-Pacific are the ultimate winners,” concluded
Takahashi.
The
APEC Preparatory Meeting on the High Level Policy Dialogue on Human
Capacity Building is currently addressing these and other related issues on
2-4 February 2015 in Subic Bay, the Philippines.
APEC media advice
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