BIMP-EAGA member-countries to strengthen partnership towards highly-skilled and competent workforce
The member-countries of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-The Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) forged to create stronger partnerships toward a more sustainable Socio-Cultural and Education (SCE) and a more globally-competitive and highly-skilled workforce in the sub-region.
The agreement was made after the respective representatives of the member-countries signed the conference resolution of the recently-concluded 2nd BIMP-EAGA Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Forum and Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) Summit held on July 31-August 3, 2018 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
The resolution seeks for the complementation of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) and Higher Education (HE) towards the sub-region’s holistic human resource development through having highly-educated, competitive and skilled workforce that contributes to the socio-economic development of the EAGA people and communities.
Several initiatives such as harmonization of educational standards and frameworks, establishment of Credit Transfer System, research collaborations, and sharing of learning resources, faculty and students exchange programs were also stated in the resolution.
Apart from the inputs from the four member-countries, Ms. Catherine Louise White, Executive Director of Workforce Northern Territory of the Northern Territory Government of Australia also presented the TVET best practices and cooperation opportunities in their country.
“The forged initial agreements and partnerships will open doors for cross-country or regional exchanges of students, educators, and practitioners in both sectors,” BIMP-EAGA SCE Cluster Chair and TESDA OIC- Deputy Director General for Communities and Local Government Unit Services Director Gaspar S. Gayona, Ph.D., Ed.D., CESO III said.
“For what we always aim in the BIMP-EAGA is a stronger sense of oneness and connectivity among its constituents amid differences through socio-cultural and human resource development initiatives,” Director Gayona added.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Datu Hj. Abul Khayr D. Alonto urged the member-countries to “strengthen their commitment in increasing the people-to-people connectivity & mobility and in developing a more globally-competitive human resource capital in the sub-region.”
“I strongly believe that these activities are strong platforms for strengthening our development efforts for the technical and vocational and higher education sectors of the member-countries’ focus areas,” Alonto said.
