AEC, AQRF and Developments; Commitments of ASEAN Member States on MRS and RMCS

Carmela I. TorresDWT Bangkok

ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

National Consultation Workshop: Implementations of MRS: Yangon, Mynamar

24 February, 2014

Outline

1. ASEAN Economic Community 2015 & ASEAN Leaders’ Statement

2. ASEAN Qualification Referencing Framework (AQRF) and Skills Mobility Tools; ILO Commitments to MRS with AMS; RMCS

- AQRF- MRA and MRS- ILO’s Initiatives to the Implementation of MRS-Institutional framework & Action plans-MRS Process-RMCS

3. Next Steps on MRS Implementation in collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat

- Next Steps on MRS implementation- Collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat-

4. The AQRF Referencing Process- AQRF Referencing Process- Preparing for referencing- Key Steps for referencing process

1. ASEAN Economic Community 2015 & ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Human Resources and Skills Development

Competitive region with

higher skills

Single labor market

Quality workforce

reputation

Investor attractiveness

Target international

industries

Fair remuneration and

remittances

Supporting decent work

Benefits of the AEC

ASEAN Leaders’ Statement

Recognize the role of education for economic development in developing national skills frameworks as incremental step towards an ASEAN skills recognition framework;

Recognize also the major human resources challenges that ASEAN has been facing in sustaining economic recovery and growth that include enhancing workforce competitiveness; improving workforce skills, rebuilding employment and accelerating productivity;

ASEAN Leaders’ Statement- Key Actions

• Enhance technical cooperation among AMS to improve the capacity and skills of ASEAN’s labour officials, particularly in CLMV;

• Promote sharing of experiences, best practices and knowledge in human resource development issues;

Foster Technical cooperation and capacity-building

activities

•Encourage tripartite participation in education and training

•Encourage social partners and public-private partnerships at regional and national levels to enhance skills development;

Promote tripartite and public-private sector cooperation

•Promote vocational training and workforce learning for the purpose of improving the employability and upgrading skills of workforce

•Develop national skills frameworks as an important strategy to raise AMS respective levels of skills standards, as an incremental approach towards an ASEAN Skills recognition framework;

Enhance the quality and skills of

workers

• Promote the sharing of experiences in the development and implementation of national lifelong learning systems among AMS

Promote lifelong learning

2 AQRF and Skills Mobility Tools; ILO Commitments to MRS with AMS; RMCS

ASEAN QUALIFICATIONSREFERENCE FRAMEWORK (AQRF)

AQRF, a common 8-level reference framework, will function as a translation device to enable comparisons of qualifications across participating ASEAN Countries

Designed and agreed among all 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS)

Currently members are strengthening their own national skills systems and planning referencing to the AQRF

Objectives

increase trade in services, particularly education services and the temporary movement of natural persons through the development of a mutually comparable national qualifications frameworks of AMS; and

strengthen the national education and training systems to make ASEAN workers competitive

Main Features of the AQRF

• AQRF will cover:a. Senior schoolingb. Technical and Vocation Education and Training (TVET)c. Higher Education

The AQRF:

1. provide a clear basis for mutual recognition of formal and informal learning

2. facilitate the free flow of skilled labour and the on-going development of ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) for professional services.

3. is voluntary

ASEAN QUALIFICATIONSREFERENCE FRAMEWORK (AQRF)

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Country A AQRF Country B

QualificationsB

Qualifications A

Skills Mobility Tool: MRAs & MRS

Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs):a key tool which establishes skills or

experience professionals need to work & ultimately be certified in a destination country which is signatory Member States-- thus facilitating easier movement of professional services providers in ASEAN

It aims to:- Promote the mobility of skilled

professionals- Attract regional talent to meet

staffing shortages- Boost regional competitiveness- Improve the quality of services

throughout ASEAN

Mutual recognition of skills (MRS):MRS will focus on technical/vocational skills

MRS will be necessary for countries with lessdeveloped skills systems

Progress in implementing MRS: varying levels ofreadiness of AMS (ILO study 2014)

ASEAN Countries could well benefit from andwould need to employ low to middle-skilled migrantworkers

Technical skilled workers with a modest skill set(e.g. tiling, shrimp farming) can have skillsrecognized through the MRS within the AQRF

ILO Initiatives on the MRS

Progress OutputsDec. 2012

Capacity Building Workshop: Towards a Mutual Recognition on Skills for ASEAN

[Bangkok, Thailand]

Initial Identification of skills areas for mutual recognition;Initial discussion with collaborating countries

Sept. 2013

1) Report: Assessment of the Readiness of AMS for Implementation of the Commitment to the Free Flow of Skilled Labour within AEC from 2015

2) Consultation Meeting on the Findings of the Scoping/Assessment Exercise Conducted on the Free Flow of Skilled Labour

[Bangkok, Thailand]

Assessed the readiness status of all the AMS;

confirmed the findings of the report to move ahead with identifying priority skills sectors for mutual recognition;

Oct. 2013

ASEAN Employers’ regional Workshop

[Bali Indonesia]

Presented the identified skills sectors to the employers;requested them to determine the demand for skilled migrant labour;

Sept. 2014

Consultation/Validation Workshop On the Implementation of Mutual Recognition of Skills in ASEAN Countries

[Jakarta, Indonesia]

1) Identified and validated two specific occupations for MRS implementation in a tripartite manner; 2) Developed detailed action plans for the MRS process.3) Specific focus on CLM countries

Assessment of the Readiness of AMS for the Implementation of the Free Flow of Skilled Labour by 2015 (ILO Study)

Main Findings

Readiness Countries

Can be ready for recognition for many occupations 

Malaysia;Philippines

Can be ready for recognition for some occupations 

Brunei Darussalam; Viet Nam;Singapore; Indonesia;Thailand

With support, can be ready for recognition for key migrant worker occupations       

Cambodia;Lao PDR; Myanmar

Assessment of the Readiness of AMS for the Implementation of the Free Flow of Skilled Labour by 2015 (ILO Study)

RECOMMENDATIONS

ASEAN Secretariat proposed to adopt a coordinating role among several agencies supporting AMS for skilled and professional mobility through the AEC

A focal international agency be identified by ASEAN Secretariat to partner and provide technical guidance and support for its leading role across AMS and Development partners

The ILO further invest in priority skills areas (e.g. domestic work training and construction) for development of additional RMCS

The ILO Publish a booklet on good practice in the development of national competency standards and TVET qualifications; convene a training workshop for senior practitioners from all AMS

Institutional Framework of AQRF

Action Plans proposed by AMS

Country Priority Skills Areas ProposedCollaborating AMS

Cambodia Building/MasonryElectrical Wiring

Thailand

Indonesia Construction sectorTourism & hospitality

SingaporeMalaysiaBrunei

Lao PDR BricklayingPlastering

Thailand

Malaysia Tourism & hospitalityHousekeeping

Indonesia

Action Plans proposed by AMS

Country Priority Skills Areas Proposed Collaborating AMS

Myanmar WeldingSewing machine operator

SingaporeThailand

Philippines TourismDomestic work

MyanmarCambodia

Thailand ConstructionSewing machine operator

CambodiaMyanmarLao PDR

Viet Nam Tourism & hospitalityHousekeepingAutomotive technology

Thailand

Malaysia

ILO’s RMCS: INSTRUMENT for MRS Implementation

What is the Regional Model Competency Standards (RMCS)?

set of competency skills standards which acts as a generic guide to countries developing their skills standards/competencies; it is

a guide for a range of occupations across a certain industry

RMCS can be used as a regional benchmark for developing countriesfor the mutual recognition of skills like in ASEAN

Employers and workers need help to clearly specify their skill requirements to training organizations

Reduce time for countries to develop their own competency standards

Potential for use as regional standards in: ASEAN, APEC or GMS

ILO RMCS Series

RMCS developed (For finalization & publication)WeldingDomestic WorkConstructionAquaculture/AgricultureGeneric Units/Generic Set of Selected Core CompetenciesMechanical services

RMCS PublishedManufacturingTourism and hospitality

4. ILO Next Steps on MRS Implementation in collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat

Next Steps on MRS Implementation

A. ASEAN Member states (overall)1. Identification of focal point for follow-up and implementation

2. Follow-up on developments of action plans3. Technical assistance; sharing of experiences & good practices

B. CLM Member states (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar):direct technical assistance

1. Benchmarking and referencing of skills standards in priority occupations

2. Development of curriculum & learning materials; additional RMCS 3. Consultation meetings with governments, employers, workers,

training providers and other stakeholders to advance MRS activities4. Capacity building activities

5. Collaboration and support to the ASEAN Secretariat on AQRF activities

6. Regional conference to share experiences and common concerns

Next Steps on MRS Implementation

Collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat/TF AQRF

Advocacy and awareness raising activities on AQRF- with a particular focus on CLM member states

- support to AQRF meetings/capacity building workshops

- capacity building workshops to CLM

Socialization of AQRF with Private sector, particularly with the federations in selected key industries.

Proposed main actions/activities:

1)National workshops with stakeholders

2)Training of Trainers and Assessors: assistance from Thailand;

3)Curriculum development under technical support of ILO and the project donor: Government of Korea

4)Capacity building workshops on skills standards, qualifications and certification development at national level in CLM in collaboration with Thailand and ILO

Outcomes of Action Planning for CLM

Cambodia

Building/Masonry

Electrical Wiring

Lao PDR

Bricklaying

Plastering

Myanmar

Welding(Singapore)

Sewing machine operator

Thailand Building masonry Electrical wiringBricklayingPlastering

Sewing machine operator (Myanmar)

Collaborating ASEAN Member state: Thailand

5. The AQRF Referencing Process

Preparing for ReferencingKey Steps for Referencing Process

1• All member states identify the lead agency for national qualifications referencing. This can

be a single agency or a collective group of agencies.

2• 8 level AQRF should be adopted by all members states for the referencing process;

meanwhile, the qualifications for which regional recognition is to be sought should be benchmarked against the AQRF levels (for example, Philippines can mange this simply since level 4 or 5 align easily; Myanmar can choose one MRS like welding with the chosen certificate for regional recognition aligned to probably level 2 of the AQRF

3• AMS need to ensure that the qualifications to be regionally recognized are backed up by the

quality and other requirements specified by the AQRF-TF; Myanmar will need quality assurance, assessment & certification to meet ASEAN stds but only for single welding certificate, & maybe to be awarding by 1 or 2 institutions; Philippines can seek recognition for all qualifications at the first 4 or 5 levels

Note: Such approach will allow Member States who DO NOT have a comprehensive NQF to be able to move forward the mutual recognition process.

MRS Process

ILO/ADB study: ASEAN Community 2015: Managing Integration for better jobs and shared prosperity

http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/events/WCMS_300205/lang--en/index.htm

ILO Study: Assessment of the readiness of ASEAN Member States for implementation of the commitment to the free flow of skilled labour within the ASEAN Economic Community from 2015

http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/publications/WCMS_310231/lang--en/index.htm

ILO Study by Employers: The road to the ASEAN Economic Community 2015: The challenges and opportunities for enterprises and their representative organizations

http://www.ilo.org/asia/areas/workers-and-employers-organizations/WCMS_248720/lang--en/index.htm

ILO Publications in ASEAN

THE ENDTHANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

For further information please contact:

Carmela I. Torres

Senior Specialist on Skills & Employability

ILO Decent Work Team Bangkok

Tel No. +66 2 2881780

E mail address: torresc@ilo.org