ASEAN pushes skills passport

Thailand's prime minister has called for an urgent alignment of education and training systems among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) amid a rapidly evolving job market, while promoting a digital skills passport to facilitate cross-border employment.

During the 29th ASEAN Labor Ministers' Meeting held in Bangkok from Aug 23-28, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that new technologies —particularly artificial intelligence (AI) — are transforming traditional work forms and the region should respond promptly by enhancing education and skills training.

With a combined population of nearly 700 million and a workforce of over 357 million, ASEAN represents one of the world's largest and most promising pools of human capital. Its people and their skills are crucial factors for the region's competitiveness and growth amid global changes, Anutin said.

However, he also noted that ASEAN still faces gaps in access to education, skills development, technology, income opportunities, health, and social protection.

Anutin emphasized the importance of developing labor skills and creating a credible and internationally recognized skills certification system to increase employment opportunities, support labor mobility, and enhance ASEAN's competitiveness.

"Qualifications or skills acquired from ASEAN member countries should open up opportunities for workers to access jobs in other countries, both within and outside the region," Anutin said. "Working together will help ASEAN raise skills standards and create more opportunities for its people."

During the meeting — which was themed "Advancing ASEAN Human Capital: Skills Certification towards Global Recognition" — Thailand introduced a skills certification ecosystem, including three major areas: certification of training programs, occupational skills standards, and ASEAN Centers of Excellence.

All will be implemented under a 2026–2030 framework, according to Thai Minister of Labor Chulaphan Amornvivat.

The passport is being developed in collaboration with ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea, and other international organizations, aiming to boost regional labor mobility and global competitiveness.

Chulaphan said the proposed passport would give workers a recognized record of their skills and qualifications that can travel with them across the region, supporting greater labor mobility and helping ASEAN economies respond to changing skills demands.

As AI and other technologies continue to alter the workplace, he said ASEAN's challenge increasingly extends beyond creating jobs.

It is also about ensuring workers can carry their skills with them — and that those skills are recognized wherever new opportunities emerge.

"Through this landmark initiative, Thailand reaffirms its commitment to shaping a future-ready regional workforce, sharing best practices, co-developing capacity-building initiatives, and exploring joint projects that align with ASEAN's labor priorities — particularly in digital skills, green jobs, and safe migration governance," Chulaphan noted.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Frantisek Ruzicka said in his opening remarks at the conference that the ASEAN labor market faces rapid digitization, AI integration, and accelerating population aging, which are transforming jobs and skill requirements.

He urged member countries to improve workforce participation and productivity.

However, skills development alone would not be enough, Ruzicka said, unless qualifications could also be recognized across borders through clear learning outcomes, credible standards, and the involvement of relevant stakeholders.

The Bangkok meeting brought together ministers and permanent secretaries overseeing labor affairs from ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea, along with more than 350 delegates, to discuss policy and promote labor and human resource development cooperation across the region.

During the meeting, ASEAN members also stressed that enhanced trilateral cooperation with "ASEAN+3" partners (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) will help support regional workforce connectivity and sustainable labor development.