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During the worldwide disruption caused by the [Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)] pandemic, policymakers and experts expressed ongoing concerns about [information and communication technology] ICT integration embedded into effective instruction. Most of the 11 [Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization] SEAMEO member countries [Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR [People's Democratic Republic], Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam] are developing countries with limited capacities in ICT application. This issue deserves greater attention, consideration and alignment. This study aims to assess ICT skills competency levels of technical education teachers. In response to this research objective, 5,704 technical education teachers from vocational-technical high schools in the 11 SEAMEO member countries were polled via a Google Forms questionnaire. The cross-sectional survey design utilised descriptive statistics and Harman's single factor test to analyse data. An independent sample t-test and one-way [analysis of variance] ANOVA were used to test hypotheses. The results found that technical education teachers are moderately proficient in Microsoft Excel but have good internet skills. The study points to the limitations of ICT skills and confirms the ongoing need for combined resources such as ICT infrastructure, outsourcing, and curriculum review.

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Jobs are a key ingredient of Myanmar's development. One of the five goals of the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (2018-2030), a national strategy to inform policies and institutions that drive inclusive and transformational economic growth, is devoted to job creation and private sector-led growth. However, jobseekers in Myanmar are often in different locations than job opportunities, particularly the good ones. As a result, 4.7 million people, or nearly one in ten people, had moved from their usual place of residence in the five years preceding the 2014 Census, most of them migrants for work, moving in search of higher-paying jobs that can support families back home. This report shows how active labor market policies (ALMPs) that aim to generate more and better employment opportunities can be adjusted to the needs of jobseekers on the move. The report examines these adjustments for different types of ALMPs, including training, labor market information, job matching and placement, and financial assistance.

The report is divided into four chapters. The first chapter provides a detailed overview of labor mobility in Myanmar. The second chapter introduces ALMPs in Myanmar with a focus on internal migrants. Chapter 2 covers the legal and institutional framework governing ALMPs and then discusses training, labor market information, job matching and placement, and financial assistance. Areas for improvement and gaps are discussed in each section. Chapter 3 follows this same structure for international migrants. As noted above, conflict is an important challenge for labor markets in Myanmar. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on policies related to labor mobility, including labor mobility motivated by conflict, but they do not address the particular needs of people displaced by conflict. Chapter 4 recommends policy changes that would improve the labor mobility situation in Myanmar and fill the gaps identified in chapters 2 and 3.

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Across the globe, [technical and vocational education and training] TVET is being positioned as strategic assets in innovation and economic competitiveness, and as problem-solvers for socio-economic issues affecting their countries and therefore there emerge the need for strategic partnerships between TVET Institutions/TVET Institution with industries that go beyond the traditional funding of discrete research projects. Therefore, it is implied to have sufficient ground to undertake the study on this important and vital issue in sixteen [Colombo Plan Staff College] CPSC member countries. The purpose of this research is to examine and discuss the status of Industry Institute Linkages in the TVET system of the CPSC member countries. The goal of Institution-industry collaborations is to fully capitalize on the potential of both parties while simultaneously satisfying the mission and objectives of each partner. Here, the quantitative and qualitative approaches were deployed to conduct the research by collecting the data from the primary, secondary and tertiary sources through closed ended questionnaires. In order to analyze the qualitative data, the content analyses method is used to analyze the responses.

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The 'Future ASEAN agenda for technical and vocational education and training (TVET)' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 142.794] was published and presented to delegates of ASEAN member states at the 9th Regional Policy Dialogue on TVET in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2019. At the core of the Agenda are 45 recommendations, grouped into nine thematic sections. Each recommendation outlined a specific activity or field of action that would directly or indirectly strengthen the leadership of business and industry in TVET and ultimately improve the quality of TVET across the ASEAN region. In order to illustrate how the recommendations can be put into practice, case studies from ASEAN and beyond were presented and discussed by public and private sector stakeholder representatives at the event. This publication presents some of these case studies in addition to examples of good practice, which had already been discussed at the 7th Regional Policy Dialogue in 2018. It showcases models for the participation of business and industry in labour market-oriented TVET in the ASEAN region and aims to support the implementation of the future agenda for TVET across the ASEAN region.

The case studies are presented under the themes of: (1) enhancing the relevance and quality of TVET regulations and strategies; (2) establishing public-private models for skill standard development and assessments; (3) strengthening the leadership of business member organisations in TVET; (4) rebranding TVET; (5) mobilizing companies to engage in TVET; (6) ensuring sufficient funding for TVET; (7) improving the quality of training delivery; (8) deepening the collaboration of TVET schools with business and industry; and (9) intensifying research on TVET and future skills needs.

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The goal of the labour market [technical and vocational education and training] TVET system is to prepare workers to easily enter the labour market. In order to assure quality in TVET and a demand-driven TVET system, it is necessary to involve the private sector in each of the components of TVET. TVET institutions must realize their role as a service provider for the economy in general, and for flourishing businesses in the country. The analysis presented in this study has confirmed that, presently, Myanmar's TVET system is dominated by supply-driven TVET for both public and private providers. The consultation system with entrepreneurs, business associations, and chambers of commerce that would enable the system to be more demand-driven is not yet in place. At this stage, there is no evidence of public or private-enterprise involvement in the development of curricula. The consequence has been that TVET is highly supply-driven and the training subjects are defined with little or no consultation on the needs of the labour market. The study has suggested that there are ways to change the policy from supply-driven to demand-driven, through: (1) understanding the needs of the private sector (businesses and entrepreneurs); and (2) involving the private sector in designing the curricula so that there is more balance between theory and practice, and the curricula content and learning outcomes are closer to the needs of the labour market, i.e. competency-based.

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The Union of Myanmar is basically an agricultural country. The country was under British rule for about a century, until its independence in 1948.

The pre-second World War education system encouraged the youth of the country to pursue education which led to clerical and junior administrative positions in the civil service. Technicians and skilled workers required to staff the existing industrial establishments were mainly brought in from India.

During the period following the second World War, when the Union of Myanmar had to concentrate its efforts on rehabilitating the country, it found itself short of skilled workers, craftsmen, middle-level technicians and engineers. This caused a complete change in the education system of the country, and a Technical Education System, which was in line with the social and economic development pattern of the country, was integrated into the main education system.

This information paper explains the current technical and vocational education system and the objectives and role of the Department of Technical, Agricultural and Vocational Education. Show less

The importance of closer collaboration amongst the six countries - Thailand, Yunnan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar - of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in matters of employment promotion and skills training have been underlined by the recent difficulties faced by several of these countries and the social consequences of the economic downturn. Chapter one provides the background, including objectives, expected outputs, project design and implementation. Chapter two is based on the country reports and provides a situational analysis of key issues in employment promotion and training from the perspective of the participating countries. Chapter three is a condensed version of the technical study entitled 'Labour markets, skill shortages and labour market information in the Greater Mekong Subregion: challenges and policy options'. Chapter four covers the lack of skill standards, testing and certification systems. Chapter five outlines the lack of evaluation and accreditation for TVET. Chapter six offers conclusions and suggest future directions. Show less

This paper provides analysis on the implications of international trade on employment and skills demand in selected countries, including Cambodia, Ghana, Jordan, Malawi, Morocco, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tunisia and Viet Nam. It is based on a number of background studies which were prepared to support the implementation of the ILO's Skills for Trade and Export Diversification Programme in these countries. These countries are at different stages of opening up to trade and integration to the global economy, and pursue different strategies to realise growth through trade. The paper looks at trends in exports between 2000-2015 and discusses the direct and indirect effects of exports on production and employment in interconnected sectors of the domestic economy. Subject to the limited availability of labour market data from most of these countries, the paper seeks corresponding changes in the structure of employment and summarises information on existing skills imbalances.

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In Myanmar, according to the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP) 2016-2021, the four-year Education College curriculum has been developed and implemented, in line with the pre-service teacher education reform. In the new curriculum, the Lesson Study (LS) model is integrated into the practicum. LS is an effective teacher professional development practice that originated in Japan and is becoming popular all over the world today, suited to both pre-service and in-service teacher education. The LS concept has been introduced to the Myanmar context since 2011 through international training projects and there are two LS research projects which focus on the impacts of the training. However, there is no follow-up research which explores teacher educators' understanding of LS and their LS practices after the training projects and there is no research related to the integration of LS into pre-service teacher education. This study explores the LS experiences and perspectives of teacher educators who have to take the responsibility of integrating LS into pre-service teacher education with the aim of assessing their readiness for that. Eight teacher educators from six Education Colleges in Myanmar participated in this qualitative research project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. The results reveal that teacher educators are already familiar with the term 'LS' through the former LS projects. Moreover, the findings show two dimensions of teacher educators' lesson study experiences; namely, lesson study experiences as a tool of professional development and as a tool of teacher training. They have positive perceptions about the integration of LS into the practicum but it is still challenging for them.

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There is a wide disparity in education between high-end and low-end [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] ASEAN nations and this might disadvantage many nations in the ASEAN Economic Community. In order for education reform to be in line with ASEAN Community, selected international students from various ASEAN countries studying in Bangkok have been interviewed and surveyed to compare the pros and cons of education in their hometown and in Bangkok. Based on the interview discussions, suggestions are drawn especially regarding education reform in Myanmar [Burma].

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