BILT hospitality tourism transition

This first on-site BILT bridging event in the Asia-Pacific region was organized by UNESCO-UNEVOC, BIBB and Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore, and co-hosted by the Ministry of Education of Singapore, Chair of the ASEAN TVET Council.

The conference brought together 65 onsite and 124 online participants including policymakers, industry representatives, and TVET providers, who shared insights on green and digital qualifications and competencies in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on the hospitality and tourism sector.

Participants at Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

The goal of the event was to establish or deepen innovation collaborations on an international level and particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. To this end, the conference programme featured matchmaking sessions to foster cooperation and thematic exchange among the UNEVOC Centres and members of the BILT Community. The conference hosted the first face-to-face meeting of the BILT Expert Group on the dual transition in the hospitality and tourism sector, which presented the preliminary results of their work.

Staying relevant to industry needs

The conference dialogues revealed that it is crucial for TVET systems to be adaptable and relevant to industry needs. To achieve this, key stakeholders such as industry, governments and training institutions must work in close partnership. Collaboration with industry experts and regularly updating curricula can help bridge the skills gap and ensure graduates are prepared for the workforce. One critical element is the need for TVET staff to maintain familiarity with the newest industry trends and insights to ensure instruction is up to date.

“In an effective TVET system amidst disruptive changes, it is imperative to ensure relevance to industry needs, quality of delivery, quality of our faculty members and the close partnership with industry and the government” - Mr Peter Lam, Principal and CEO of Temasek Polytechnic

International collaboration on green and digital skills development

Experts emphasized the importance of international exchange, alignment of curricula, and breaking away from stereotypes as prerequisites for relevant TVET in today’s rapidly changing world. Learning from innovative practices around the world helps identify effective strategies that can be implemented locally. To enable peer learning among participants, several online and onsite sessions of the conference featured cutting-edge practical examples incorporating digital and green skills and competencies into TVET training and learning.

Visual summary by Wendy Wong, Welenia Studios: Critical core skills in hospitality and tourism — excellent and innovative TVET practices

Next steps

Framed under the UNESCO TVET Strategy 2022-2029, the BILT project will continue promoting international cooperation and capacity-building in TVET by expanding the reach of the UNEVOC Network and the BILT community and fostering partnerships. Mark your calendars for the BILT Learning Forum, which will take place on 24-26 October 2023 at the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany. On this occasion, UNESCO-UNEVOC and BIBB will welcome around 60 UNEVOC Centres and TVET stakeholders from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe for three days of peer learning and networking.

This event was hosted by the UNEVOC Centre

and co-hosted by the

Chair of the ASEAN TVET Council

Presentations

26 June 2023 (in-person only)

Matchmaking sessions

BILT Matchmaking Sessions offer an opportunity to build up and strengthen international partnerships among TVET institutions from Asia-Pacific, Africa and Europe. The objective of Matchmaking Sessions is to illustrate examples of institutional efforts that have helped to translate the TVET qualification and competency development from policy to practice. Participants join a session of their choice to share first-hand experiences, engage in peer learning and meet potential partners for future partnerships and collaborations.

Matchmaking Sessions I

Ensuring relevance: Temasek Polytechnic’s collaborative approach in preparing students for the hospitality and tourism industry, Mr Benjamin Cassim, Senior Lecturer, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore
Digital entrepreneurship training for women in tourism: How to make it really work, Ms Catheryn Khoo, Professor of Hospitality and Tourism, Torrens University, Australia
Center of vocational manpower networking management’, Mr Nirutt Butrsaenlee, Director of Bureau of Vocational Education Research and Development, Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Thailand

Matchmaking Sessions II

Duy Tan’s approach to training for hospitality and tourism, Ms Hang Le, Vice Provost, Duy Tan University (DTU), Viet Nam
TVET for hospitality and tourism in Vanuatu, Mr Jonathan Tarip, Vanuatu Institute of Technology, Vanuatu
Skills for a Resilient Workforce Program, Mr Mohamed Hashim, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Maldives Polytechnic, Maldives

27 June 2023 (hybrid)

Inclusive, flexible, excellent TVET: Requirements for promoting the digital and green transition

This session brings together policymakers from Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Europe. They examine and compare global, regional and local TVET strategies and policies supporting the digital and green transformation. A keynote speech by the president of the German Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training sets the scene for the ensuing panel discussion with participants from the ASEAN TVET Council, the African Union, and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research.

Moderator: Mr Michael Wiechert, Deputy Head of Department 'VET International', Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany

Keynote: Mr Friedrich Hubert Esser, President, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany

Impulse talks by

Ms Karen Chong, Coordinating Divisional Director of Higher Education Group, Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore (holding the Chair of the ASEAN TVET Council)
Mr Nicholas Ouma, Senior Youth Advisor, on behalf of Mr Hambani Masheleni, Acting Director, Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, African Union Commission
Ms Catrin Hannken, BMBF, Germany

Breakout Sessions ‘Critical core skills in hospitality and tourism’

The objective of these sessions is to share and discuss how critical core skills can be identified across current and newly emerging disciplines, within the hospitality and tourism industry, and how they can be integrated into general TVET frameworks.

Parallel session I (streamed online): Public and private sector: Jointly addressing labour and skills shortages

Parallel session II (in-person only): TVET research and practice: Developing competency-based curricula

Panel Discussion with industry partners from the hospitality and tourism industry (on-site participants only)

The intent of this session is to explore which core skills and competencies increase employability from an industry perspective. The panel discussion outlines the role industrial players have in the training of TVET students.

Moderator: Mr Benjamin Cassim, Temasek Polytechnic

28 June 2023 (hybrid)

Keynote and Q&A: The Singapore TVET framework for pre-employment and continuing education

This keynote address offers a discussion on Singapore’s approach to developing a future-oriented TVET framework based on the critical core skills that can be applied to not just the current business landscape, but also aid in future-proofing the existing workforce as well as those entering the workforce.

Moderator: Mr Benjamin Cassim, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

Ms Tai Jo Fang, Assistant Director of Jobs-Skills Insights Division, SkillsFuture Singapore

Critical core skills in hospitality and tourism: Excellent and innovative TVET practices

The objective of these sessions is to present practical approaches to incorporating new industry requirements for digital and green skills and competencies into TVET training and learning. Participants join a session of their choice and have opportunities to discuss and share approaches and promising practices.

Moderator: Ms Franziska Wettstein, Expert, Development of Occupations and Mr Erik Swars, Head of International Affairs, Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET), Switzerland

Preliminary results of the BILT Expert Group on the dual transition in hospitality and tourism

Session I: Digital skills in TVET training and learning

Moderator: Mr Enrique Blanco, Projects and Communications Manager, École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT), Cambodia (Expert Group Co-Lead)

Mr John Hart, Chairman, Tourism Training Australia: “Digital Micro-credentials for Tourism and Hospitality”, Australia
Ms Christine Gimonge, Programmes Coordinator at Westerwelle Startup Haus Arusha: “DigiTrade: Digital Skills Accelarator”, Tanzania
Mr Johan Marais, Chief Marketing Officer at CiMSO Group: “Preparation and Readiness for Digitization in Tourism and Hospitality Industry”, South Africa

Session II: Green skills in TVET training and learning

Moderator: Mr Billy Wadongo, Head of Research, Innovation and Business, Boma International Hospitality College (BIHC), Kenya (Expert Group Co-Lead)

Mr Francois Schnoebelen, Director of École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule (EHT): “The EcoCampus, flagship project for TVET institutions”, Cambodia
Mr Geoffrey Lipman, President of SunX Malta – Strong Universal Network: “Diploma in Climate Friendly Travel (YouTube)”, Malta
Ms Nicole Agnew, Innovation Project Manager & Coach at The Lab Hotel: “Sustainable innovation for future entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry”, Switzerland

The BILT project: Status quo and where do we want to go?

This session places BILT in the context of international TVET strategies and policies such as the UNESCO Strategy for TVET (2022-2029). The goal is to explore ways for the BILT community to actively participate and contribute to project activities and to jointly discuss future milestones for the BILT project. Slides

Moderator: Mr Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC