Building Future-Ready Workforce
ASEAN is set for a digital transformation. Emerging technologies such as 5G, Cloud Computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things are dramatically reshaping the digital economy. With a proper digital agenda and a strategy that harnesses the power of technology and people, the ASEAN region could add US$1 trillion to its gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade and help ASEAN leap to the forefront of global competitiveness as a world-leading digital hub.
In 2015, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) mapped out a charter for the next 10 years, with a clear focus on adopting innovation and technology, and developing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Most ASEAN countries have articulated various visions for their digital economies. Substantial digital and physical infrastructure investments are also underway. Between 2011 and 2015, countries across ASEAN invested almost US$50 billion in building the region’s communication infrastructure. Overall, ASEAN has a demographic, macroeconomic, infrastructure, and strategic environment conducive to digital adoption, which will continue to spur economic growth among the region’s economies.
But digital talent to allow the region to make the most of the opportunity is lacking.
For ASEAN to take full advantage of the digital age, its workforce needs to be imbued with the right skill sets. ASEAN Countries need to lay out a comprehensive road map for talent development and training. Reskilling and retraining should focus on enabling employees to use technology effectively to prepare workers for a world of continuous disruption. Tighter coordination between governments, industry and educational institutions is necessary, as it is a focus on the practical aspects of digital transformation, and the latest tools and technologies.
Governments need to radically transform their current education systems to ensure youth are prepared for the digital economy by investing in 21st-century skills education. Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, digital literacy, and more holistic social and emotional skills will be vital for the youth to cope with the new technologies and rapidly evolving workplaces of tomorrow.
The Indonesia Future Skills Summit 2023 with an overarching theme ‘Building Future-Ready Workforce’ aims to facilitate discussions on tackling the digital gap by considerig how the government, education providers and private organisations can work in partnership to boost digital skills and tackle isolation in the modern digital society. Through a series of keynote speeches and interactive sessions, the forum will be an opportunity to explore how to achieve a fully digitally inclusive future through providing digital skills and access for all.
The key takeaways from the Indonesia Future Skills Summit 2023 are:
• The impact of digital skill talent deficit on the implementation of national agendas such as digital transformation, smart cities, sustainable development and climate change;
• Transformation of education and training systems in producing digitally future-ready workforces;
• Review and recommend policies, strategies, initiatives and innovative financing models to cultivate lifelong learning culture in supporting the national digital transformation agenda; and
• Improved inclusiveness in education and employment for all.
More information : indonesiafutureskillssummit.confexmanager.com
