ASEAN integration

Skills and lack of awareness of AEC 2015 – a major concern for enterprises, ILO warns

An ILO research in 2013 also shows that labour productivity in Viet Nam was among the lowest levels in the Asia-Pacific region.

Press release | 09 May 2014
KUALA LUMPUR (ILO News) - Enterprises throughout the ASEAN region are extremely concerned about the lack of skilled workforce as the 2015 deadline for the start of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) approaches, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The report “The Road to ASEAN Economic Community 2015: The challenges and opportunities for enterprises and their representative organizations”, was launched today at a meeting of experts convened to consider the labour market challenges created by the more integrated ASEAN economy that will follow the introduction of the AEC in 2015.

The key findings of the report include:

• There is substantial evidence that enterprises are not fully aware of the challenges of the AEC or ready to capitalise on its opportunities. While enterprises are largely optimistic that greater labour mobility, lower trade barriers and freer investment flows will boost competitiveness – particularly if combined with investment in training and education - there is a significant lack of readiness to face the competition created by an integrated, regional, labour market. Only 46 per cent of respondents indicated they fully understood the impact the AEC will have on their business.

• Skills mismatches are a major concern across the region. Nearly 50 per cent of the ASEAN employers surveyed said secondary school leavers do not have the skills they need. At the same time more than 50 per cent said university graduates had value-adding skills, however enrolment in tertiary education remains low. The skills most in demand are management and leadership, followed by vocational and technical skills, and customer service.

• After 2015 Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) will be the main vehicle for recognizing equivalent skills across ASEAN. However the report found that a lack of awareness of the MRAs may create barriers, and businesses need to become more engaged with the process.

• 54 per cent of respondents believed that increasing labour mobility would have a positive or very positive impact on their enterprise, irrespective of skill levels, (although the impact varies depending on the size and sector of enterprises) while just 14 per cent foresaw a negative or a very negative effect. But businesses in migrant-sending countries are concerned about the outflow of skilled workers. These concerns appear to be greatest in the Philippines – perhaps because of their advanced English language skills.

• There is concern about labour demand and supply inequities and the unclear impact on the informal labour market.


The Report also noted that the number of intra-ASEAN migrants has increased, from around 1.5 million in 1990 to about 6.5 million today, a number which is expected to continue to rise.

The recommendations include greater investment in human resources, underpinned by sound and stable labour market institutions, along with a major push by employers and business organizations to promote the AEC’s challenges and opportunities.

The authors also argue that more attention needs to be paid to labour and social policies, (especially those relating to skills and education), intra-regional labour mobility, and improved legislative processes to support inclusive and sustainable growth.

The report is based on a survey of employers in ten countries and an assessment of business membership organizations in four countries. The background research was supplemented by a set of technical meetings, focus group discussions and key stakeholder interviews with experts at the Asian Development Bank, OECD-BIAC, World Bank, and the ASEAN Secretariat.

The launch took place at an “Experts meeting on the labour market challenges in an integrated ASEAN economy”, organised by the ILO and the ASEAN Confederation of Employers (ACE) at the Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.


Skills issues in Viet Nam


• An ILO research in 2013 shows that labour productivity in Viet Nam was among the lowest levels in the Asia-Pacific region where comparable data are available. Productivity in Singapore was nearly 15 times the level in Viet Nam, 11 times higher in Japan and almost 10 times higher in the Republic of Korea. Even among its middle-income ASEAN neighbours, sizeable gaps also exist. For example, Viet Nam’s productivity remains one-fifth the level in Malaysia and two-fifths the level in Thailand.

One notable trend is the recent slowdown in productivity growth in Viet Nam. During the five-year period of 2002-2007, productivity increased on average each year by 5.2 per cent, among the fastest pace in the region. However, since the 2008 global economic crisis, annual productivity growth in Viet Nam has moderated to only 3.3 per cent.

• In a skills need survey with over 200 enterprises in tourism sector in central Viet Nam, all employers confirmed that graduates from vocational schools do not meet the requirements, mainly due to weak industry participation in skills training.

• By the end of 2014, the National Assembly of Viet Nam plans to pass the revised Vocational Education and Training Law which emphasizes industry participation through a tax incentive scheme for enterprises conducting training activities.