Asian Development Bank

Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Asia Asian Development Bank

This report discusses six key global trends on skills supply and demand in Asia. These are (i) the doubling of the labor pool, (ii) expansion of education access, (iii) economic and industrial transformation, (iv) technological advancement, (v) globalization and regional integration, and (vi) demographic shifts. The report highlights the need for Asia's education systems to transform. It proposes four pillars on policies to address skills mismatch including (i) developing comprehensive national strategies and planning, (ii) reorienting and rebalancing education systems, (iii) prioritizing reforms in technical vocational education and training relevance and quality, and (iv) advancing international cooperation.