Date: October 5-9, 2026 /
Program Type: In-Country Program /

BACKGROUND / RATIONALE

Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, data analytics, cloud computing, and other cross-cutting high-tech technologies are increasingly influencing how governments, industries, and education systems should operate in Industry 5.0 era. For TVET, this transformation has a dual dimension, first, TVET institutions must prepare learners for workplaces where AI, automation, connected equipment, and data-driven systems are becoming increasingly common, and second, TVET institutions themselves can use AI and IoT to improve the ways and means to plan, manage, deliver, and monitor education and training.

This distinction is particularly important for all Asia Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG's government’s digital policy direction is explicitly aiming to move from fragmented technology projects toward a coordinated digital ecosystem, while also emphasizing practical AI use cases, workforce capability, inclusion, and responsible governance. PNG is currently strengthening its national digital transformation agenda, including work on a National Sovereign Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Strategy. The emerging national approach places emphasis on connectivity, digital public infrastructure, data, AI governance, interoperability, cybersecurity, and inclusive access.

At the same time, PNG's geography creates distinctive challenges for digital transformation. The country has widely dispersed communities and remote areas, making connectivity, affordability, and reliable digital infrastructure important considerations when designing technology-enabled education and training. Current national initiatives are specifically seeking to improve connectivity for rural and remote communities. The implications for TVET are significant, as AI and IoT applications need to be considered not merely from a technological perspective or Information Technology but from the perspective of:

Relevance → Accessibility → Affordability → Institutional Readiness → Industry Alignment → Quality → Sustainability

This CPSC’s In-country training program consequently adopts a TVET application perspective, focusing on how AI and IoT can support modern TVET ecosystems through:

1. TVET planning and decision-making;
2. Labour-market and skills intelligence;
3. Curriculum and program development;
4. Smart workshops and laboratories;
5. Equipment and asset management;
6. Teaching and learning support;
7. Learner services and career guidance;
8. Assessment and quality assurance;
9. Institutional management; and
10. Industry collaboration.

Participants will develop the capacity to understand, identify, evaluate, plan, and manage appropriate AI and IoT applications in the TVET context.

Date: September 6-12, 2026 /
Program Type: Study Visit /

BACKGROUND

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Office in Bangladesh, through the Promoting Gender Responsive Enterprise Development and TVET Systems (ProGRESS) Project, is supporting the Government of Bangladesh in advancing women’s economic empowerment through policy reforms, enterprise development, and skills development. Funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented from 2022 to 2027, the project places gender equality, inclusive employment, and green skills at the center of efforts to strengthen Bangladesh’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and employment systems.

The ProGRESS Project works with key government institutions, including the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division (TMED), as well as the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), to promote accessible, inclusive, sustainable, and market-responsive skills development and employment opportunities. Particular attention is given to increasing women’s participation in skills training, wage and self-employment, entrepreneurship, and emerging green-growth sectors, while addressing barriers faced by women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups.

These priorities are particularly relevant in the context of Bangladesh’s evolving TVET and employment landscape. As the country advances its TVET Implementation Plan 2025-2030 and strengthens its institutional mechanisms for employment services, there is a growing need to develop effective labour market systems that are responsive to industry demand, inclusive of vulnerable groups, and capable of connecting skills development with productive and decent employment opportunities.

In support of these priorities, the ILO ProGRESS Project, in partnership with the Colombo Plan Staff College is organizing a study visit to the Philippines for a high-level, 18-member delegation from Bangladesh. The study visit is designed to provide participants with first-hand exposure to Philippine policies, institutional practices, and innovative approaches in TVET, employment services, labour market information, and workforce development.

The Philippines offers relevant experiences through institutions such as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), particularly in the areas of industry-driven skills development, Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), Labor Market Information Systems (LMIS), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), micro-credentials, and digital platforms. The delegation will have the opportunity to examine how these systems and initiatives contribute to strengthening the link between skills development, employment services, industry requirements, and labour market outcomes.

Through institutional visits, technical discussions, knowledge-sharing sessions, and interaction with relevant Philippine stakeholders, the delegation will gain practical insights into policies, governance mechanisms, service delivery models, digital solutions, and industry partnerships that may be adapted to the Bangladesh context. The learning from the study visit will contribute to the development of a draft strategic framework for strengthening Bangladesh’s TVET system and establishing effective Employment Exchange Centres that provide inclusive, gender-responsive, and demand-driven employment services.

The study visit therefore provides an opportunity for Bangladesh and the Philippines to exchange knowledge and experiences on building responsive TVET and employment systems, while identifying practical approaches that can contribute to greater economic participation, decent work, and inclusive workforce development.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

At the end of the study tour, the participants are expected to:

• Gain practical knowledge on gender-responsive TVET systems, inclusive employment services, and industry engagement practices.
• Obtain first-hand information and gather insights on the various policies, programs, and strategies of the Philippine Government under TESDA and the DOLE.
• Examine practices promoting women's participation in non-traditional skills/jobs.
• Identify relevant practices and approaches that can strengthen Bangladesh’s TVET and employment service systems.
• Learn about women’s participation, leadership in skills development, and employment.

Date: September 7-11, 2026 /
Program Type: Regional Program /

BACKGROUND/RATIONALE

The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), as an inter-governmental international organization for TVET in Asia and the Pacific region, continues to promote the development of research capacity as a critical component of institutional improvement, evidence-based decision-making, and innovation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). In the current environment, TVET institutions are increasingly expected to generate and use research evidence to improve curriculum relevance, training delivery, graduate outcomes, and responsiveness to labor market and industry needs.

Despite this imperative, many TVET practitioners still encounter challenges in transforming institutional concerns into researchable problems, selecting appropriate methods, and producing practical outputs that can lead to policy and program improvement. To address this need, the present program is designed as a focused virtual training initiative that will provide participants with practical tools, structured guidance, and guided task-based learning opportunities. The design is consistent with CPSC’s online capacity-building practice, which emphasizes applied learning, participant engagement, and institutional relevance.

The program allows participants to engage in self-paced completion of session-related tasks between live online sessions. A five-day format with 4 hour synchronous sessions per day is intended to maintain learning intensity while also providing sufficient time for reflection, drafting, and completion of practical outputs.

OBJECTIVES

The program aims to:

• Strengthen participants’ understanding of TVET research as a practical tool for evidence-based institutional development.
• Develop participants’ capability to identify researchable issues and formulate relevant research questions and objectives.
• Equip participants with practical and user-friendly tools for research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Enable participants to prepare a draft TVET research concept note or mini-proposal relevant to their institutional context.
• Promote the application of research findings in curriculum development, training improvement, institutional planning, and policy support.
• Foster a culture of inquiry, collaboration, and evidence-based practice among TVET professionals in CPSC member countries.

Date: August 20, 2026 /
Program Type: International Webinar /

FOCUS OF THE WEBINAR

This webinar examines the strategic role of brand management in strengthening the reputation, visibility, and competitiveness of TVET institutions through effective leadership, stakeholder engagement, and institutional positioning.

It reflects the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 4: Quality Education - strengthening institutional excellence by enhancing the visibility, credibility, and quality of TVET systems.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - promoting public confidence in TVET to develop a skilled and employable workforce that responds to evolving labor market needs.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - fostering stronger collaboration between TVET institutions and industry through strategic positioning and institutional partnerships.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - encouraging collaboration among governments, industries, development partners, and educational institutions to strengthen TVET systems and institutional sustainability.

Discussions will explore key themes such as institutional identity, brand management, reputation building, strategic communication, digital engagement, employer and industry perceptions, stakeholder experience, and the role of leadership in positioning TVET institutions for long-term success.

OBJECTIVES

• To enhance understanding of brand management as a strategic function in strengthening the reputation and competitiveness of TVET institutions.
• To examine effective strategies for institutional positioning, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management in the TVET sector.
• To promote innovative approaches to strategic communication and digital engagement that strengthen public confidence in TVET.
• To foster collaboration among TVET institutions, policymakers, industry partners, and communication professionals in advancing institutional excellence and sustainability.

Date: July 28-31, 2026 /
Program Type: Customized Program /

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

At the end of the program, the participants are expected to: 

• Analyze global models for TVET integration
• Strengthen policy alignment and governance
• Design competency-based technical education systems
• Enhance teacher professional development
• Strengthen industry linkages and workforce alignment
• Integrate digital transformation and future skills
• Promote green, inclusive, and sustainable TVET
• Strengthen quality assurance and institutional excellence  
• Develop evidence-based monitoring and evaluation systems
• Formulate institutional and national action plans

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

In the four-day training program, participants will engage in collaborative discussions, guided workshops, simulation exercises, institutional self-assessments, and strategic planning activities. Designed to translate international best practices into actionable strategies for the Department of Education (DepEd) Technical Professional (Tech-Pro) Track.

By the end of the program, participants are expected to produce the following outputs:

• Global TVET benchmarking matrix
• Policy and governance alignment framework
• Institutional SWOT analysis and gap assessment
• Competency-based curriculum and learning pathway framework
• Teacher competency development and industry immersion roadmap
• Industry partnership and workforce alignment strategy 
• AI-enabled digital transformation roadmap
• Green TVET and inclusive education integration plan
• Quality Assurance and Institutional benchmarking framework
• Monitoring, evaluation, and KPI Framework
• DepEd Tech-Pro strategic action plan
• Community of practice and regional knowledge-sharing network

Date: June 29 - July 3, 2026 /
Program Type: Regional Program /

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the program, participants are expected to be able to:

• Analyze regional TVET challenges and opportunities in preparing a future-ready skilled workforce;
• Identify strategies for digital transformation, AI-enabled learning, data-driven TVET governance and future skills development;
• Apply quality assurance, accreditation, benchmarking and APACC 2025 perspectives to institutional improvement;
• Integrate green TVET, climate-responsive skills, inclusion, gender and sustainable development in institutional plans;
• Develop institutional action plans/roadmaps and formulate practical areas of regional cooperation for future-ready skills development

Date: June 22-26, 2026 /
Program Type: In-Country Program /

OBJECTIVES

• Strengthen leadership and management skills for effective TVET governance
• Enhance institutional governance and policy implementation through APACC QA 2025 Framework
• Improve collaboration between TVET institutions and industry
• Integrate innovative and digital tools into TVET teaching and administration
• Promote green, sustainable, and inclusive TVET systems
• Develop institutional leadership action plans for continuous improvement

PROGRAM CONTENTS

Theme Papers:

• Theme Paper 1: Transformational Leadership in TVET Institutions
• Theme Paper 2: Strengthening TVET-Industry Collaboration for Workforce Alignment
• Theme Paper 3: Public-Private Partnerships and Work-Based Learning Models in TVET
• Theme Paper 4: Digital Leadership and Innovation in TVET Institutions
• Theme Paper 5: Future-ready skills & digital Competency framework
• Theme Paper 6: Green TVET and Sustainable Development Practices
• Theme Paper 7: Inclusive TVET Leadership

Workshops/Group Work Activities:

• Workshop 1: Institutional Governance Gap Analysis using APACC Principles
• Workshop 2: Mapping Industry Needs with TVET Programs
• Workshop 3: Designing Institutional Industry Engagement Strategies
• Workshop 4: Exploring Digital Tools for TVET Teaching and Administration
• Workshop 5: Developing Digital Transformation Roadmaps
• Workshop 6: Integrating Greening & Sustainability into TVET Programs
• Workshop 7: Designing Inclusive Institutional Strategies
• Workshop 8: Drafting individual institutional Action plans: Strategic Leadership and Change Management in TVET for future-ready TVET Institutions toward IR 5.0

Date: June 1-4, 2026 /
Program Type: In-Country Program /

OBJECTIVES

The training program is designed to: 

• Promote a shift in the mindset of the TESDA institutions from routine, compliance-based planning to strategic, values-driven decision-making aligned with the TESDA’s Best 8-Point Agenda.
• Enhance the strategic thinking and planning capabilities of officials and personnel within TESDA, particularly in translating institutional priorities into clear plans, targets, responsibilities, and reform actions by means of APACC QA tools.
• Strengthen behavior-related competencies essential for strategic leadership, including collaboration, innovation, accountability, change readiness, and reform ownership.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and foresight by equipping participants with practical tools for environmental scanning, scenario planning, risk awareness, monitoring, and performance review.
• Enable participants to prepare institutional strategic plans and personal commitment statements that reflect shared accountability, mindset transformation, and measurable implementation pathways.

Date: May 26, 2026 /
Program Type: International Webinar /

FOCUS OF THE WEBINAR

This webinar examines the strategic role of TVET in supporting the global energy transition through skills development, curriculum innovation, and institutional collaboration.

It reflects the following SDGs:

SDG 4: Quality Education - strengthening the integration of green and digital skills in TVET curricula to prepare learners for emerging energy sector demands.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - supporting the development of a skilled workforce capable of advancing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency solutions.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - enhancing employability and workforce readiness in the growing green economy.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure - promoting innovation, technology adoption, and stronger TVET-industry linkages in the energy sector.

SDG 13: Climate Action - contributing to climate resilience through sustainable skills development and environmentally responsible practices.

Discussions will explore key themes such as renewable energy technologies, green skills requirements, curriculum transformation, industry partnerships, and policy frameworks that enable TVET systems to respond effectively to the energy transition.

OBJECTIVES

• To enhance understanding of the global energy transition and its implications for TVET systems.

• To strengthen the capacity of TVET institutions in developing green and renewable energy skills.

• To promote curriculum innovation aligned with sustainable energy and emerging industry needs.

• To foster collaboration among TVET institutions, industry, and policymakers in advancing the energy transition agenda.