Opening address at the Knowledge-building and advocacy webinar on the application of extended reality (XR) technologies in TVET and skills development
By Mr Khalid Hassan, Director, ILO Country Office for the Philippines at the Knowledge-building and advocacy webinar on the application of extended reality (XR) technologies in TVET and skills development, 16 December 2022, Manila, Philippines
- Secretary Danilo Cruz of TESDA;
- Ambassador Laure Beaufils, UK Ambassador to the Philippines & to Palau;
- Mr Lloyd Cameron, Economic and Climate Counsellor at the British Embassy-Manila;
- Deputy Director General Rosanna Urdaneta
- Executive Director of TESDA Certification; Office Maria Susan Dela Rama;
- TESDA officials and partners;
- Ladies and gentlemen, magandang umaga (good morning)!
This ongoing partnership is very relevant given President Marcos’ focus on investments in digitalization, technological innovation, and human capital development to ensure the country remains competitive in a fast-changing and tech-driven global economy.
Along with the ILO, international and national development partners strongly welcome such priority.
Rapid adoption of digital technologies can bolster the Philippines’ post-pandemic recovery and reduce poverty based on a World Bank (WB) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) report.
TVET and skills systems in many countries rapidly adapted to the COVID learning crisis and accelerated digital technology's introduction.
However, a recent ILO and UNESCO study shows the need for integrated and coherent national digitalization strategies, developed through social dialogue, that address the demand and supply sides of skills systems.
Such strategies should explore digitalization and the role digital technologies across all aspects of a skill system, not just on teaching and learning which has been the priority since the COVID pandemic.
National TVET and skills systems must respond to demands for new skills from our increasingly digital society and enterprises. They must also engage in digital transformation and its challenges for institutions, staff and learners.
TVET and skills systems must ensure that uneven access to equipment, tools and skills, does not marginalize disadvantaged groups and worsen the digital divide.
As highlighted in the ILO's Global Call to Action for a human-centred recovery, governments, workers and employers must engage in digital transitions to facilitate lifelong learning, leverage technologies for digital inclusion, and bridge the digital divide for marginalized populations.
ILO is glad to see these priorities on the country’s development agenda. We reaffirm our commitment to support TESDA’s efforts, as member of the Inter-Agency Council for Development and Competitiveness of Philippine Digital Workforce, to digitalize national TVET and skills systems.
This includes a detailed review and adoption of advanced XR Technologies, as well as training to maximize investments in, uptake and use of these technologies.
The ILO and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) are at the forefront of global initiatives to implement concrete, hands-on solutions using emerging, most advanced, technologies to support TVET systems in accelerating the adoption of innovative learning and skills assessment technologies, based on precise and deep training needs and ecosystems analysis.
Today’s webinar will be followed by three in-person/hybrid events in Manila during the first quarter next year.
These include a Manila Skills Experts Meeting on XR Technologies for Lifelong Learning, bringing together international specialists on XR Technologies in TVET and Education.
It will be co-organized by the ITCILO and the ILO Skills for Prosperity Project funded by the Government of UK. The ITCILO will apply its expertise conducting similar initiatives internationally.
I hope that today’s workshop will be fruitful and successful for everyone.
Maraming salamat po (Thank you very much)!