Publication Type

Magazine Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

3-2025

Abstract

Upskilling of workers is critical for building a more resilient workforce and future-proofing economic growth. Upskilling has become a buzzword for governments across the region as they gear up to boost economic growth and improve productivity. A confluence of factors such as digitalisation, automation, and artificial intelligence is heralding a new age where these elements have become powerful drivers of economic success. There is enormous potential for Southeast Asia, which is home to the third largest labour force in the world and has a relatively young population, to upskill its workers. Historically a region that has depended on low-skilled manufacturing and labour-intensive industries, Southeast Asia is at risk of not maximising its economic potential if governments and the private sector are unable to equip the workforce with the skills needed to take on higher value-added jobs. In countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, there is a growing demand for more highly-skilled jobs as their economies transition to higher value-added industries that are green and more sustainable. The lack of workers with the right skills has resulted in a widening skills gap, especially amongst micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for as much as 99 percent of the total number of businesses in these countries. With more than 70 million MSMEs in ASEAN, skills upgrading will be necessary to achieve long-term and sustainable economic growth.

Keywords

upskilling, ASEAN, workforce development, digitalisation, MSMEs, skills gap, economic growth, automation, sustainable industries, Southeast Asia

Discipline

Asian Studies

Publication

Asian Management Insights

Volume

12

Issue

1

First Page

80

Last Page

82

ISSN

2315-4284

Publisher

Singapore Management University, Centre for Management Practice

City or Country

Singapore

Embargo Period

5-20-2025

Copyright Owner and License

Singapore Management University

Additional URL

https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/ami/issues/volume-12-issue-1/walk-through-asia/building-skills-now-aseans-future

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