The workshop on “Innovative Skills for Inclusive Future of Work in the Digital Age” opened in Hanoi on July 18, gathering over 100 local and international speakers and delegates, including those from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the APEC workshop
on “Innovative Skills for Inclusive Future of Work in the Digital Age." 

It also saw the presence of representatives from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), APEC Secretariat, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), ministries, businesses, universities and vocational schools.

It is initiated by Vietnam to follow up outcomes of the APEC Year 2017 on human resources development in the digital era and promotion of the digital economy. The initiative was co-sponsored by a number of APEC member economies, including Japan, Russia, Australia, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

With the robust growth of new technologies, the Asia-Pacific will be the region that is seeing the greatest transformation of work in the future, said Executive Director of APEC Secretariat Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria.

Maria highly spoke of Vietnam and co-sponsors for hosting the workshop of such a practical topic to review vital innovative skills in the digital era, thereby promoting APEC cooperation to allow regional workforce to be adaptive to change of work in the time ahead.

The initiative would contribute to the implementation of APEC’s priorities in developing high-quality human resources and fostering inclusive economic, financial and social development.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said digital technology and other latest technologies have fundamental impacts on the global economy and international economic relations as well as the world of future jobs. 

It is the time for APEC to further advance its leading role in promoting an innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth in Asia-Pacific and transforming the region into a global hub of new technologies, he said.

Son urged APEC economies to have an innovative and comprehensive approach and specific cooperation programmes to bolster the inclusive future of work in the digital era. Additionally, the APEC economies need to develop innovative skills, narrow digital gap, enhance the provision of quality training, retraining, advanced training and lifelong training, and develop a system of vocational education and training within APEC member economies, he added.

APEC also needs to accelerate technical and economic partnership to provide member economies, particularly developing members, broader access to digital technology and to help them improve adaptability and risk management and reduce digital gap.

The two-day event focuses on discussing and making recommendations which will be submitted for review at the APEC 2019 meetings in Santiago, Chile on August 29 – 30.

The workshop is co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the APEC Secretariat.

The same day, Deputy FM Bui Thanh Son received Executive Director of APEC Secretariat Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria during which they agreed to boost cooperation between Vietnam and the APEC Secretariat in implementing projects on personnel training for the Southeast Asian nation.