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." (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The workshop on “Innovative Skills for Inclusive Future of Work in theDigital Age” opened in Hanoi on July 18, gathering over 100 local andinternational speakers and delegates, including those from Asia-PacificEconomic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.
It also sawthe presence of representatives from the Organisation for Economic Cooperationand Development (OECD), APEC Secretariat, United Nations Economic and SocialCommission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations EducationalScientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), ministries, businesses,universities and vocational schools.
It isinitiated by Vietnam to follow up outcomes of the APEC Year 2017 on humanresources development in the digital era and promotion of the digital economy.The initiative was co-sponsored by a number of APEC member economies, includingJapan, Russia, Australia, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
With therobust growth of new technologies, the Asia-Pacific will be the region that isseeing the greatest transformation of work in the future, said ExecutiveDirector of APEC Secretariat Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria.
Maria highlyspoke of Vietnam and co-sponsors for hosting the workshop of such a practicaltopic to review vital innovative skills in the digital era, thereby promotingAPEC cooperation to allow regional workforce to be adaptive to change of workin the time ahead.
The initiativewould contribute to the implementation of APEC’s priorities in developinghigh-quality human resources and fostering inclusive economic, financial andsocial development.
DeputyMinister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said digital technology and other latesttechnologies have fundamental impacts on the global economy and international economic relations as well as theworld of future jobs.
It is the timefor APEC to further advance its leading role in promoting an innovative,inclusive and sustainable growth in Asia-Pacific and transforming the regioninto a global hub of new technologies, he said.
Son urged APECeconomies to have an innovative and comprehensive approach and specificcooperation programmes to bolster the inclusive future of work in the digitalera. Additionally, the APEC economies need to develop innovative skills, narrowdigital gap, enhance theprovision of quality training, retraining, advanced training and lifelongtraining, and develop a system of vocational education and training within APECmember economies, he added.
APEC alsoneeds to accelerate technical and economic partnership to provide membereconomies, particularly developing members, broader access to digitaltechnology and to help them improve adaptability and risk management and reducedigital gap.
The two-dayevent focuses on discussing and making recommendations which will be submittedfor review at the APEC 2019 meetings in Santiago, Chile on August 29 – 30.
The workshopis co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids andSocial 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 betweenVietnam and the APEC Secretariat in implementing projects on personnel trainingfor the Southeast Asian nation.–VNA
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