2022 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
Efforts should be intensified in accelerating digital transformation, enhancing digital literacy, strengthening capacity building, and promoting digital skills to build workforce capacity in the digital age.
2022 APEC Leaders’ Declaration
We will place a special emphasis on human resource development, particularly access to resources, reskilling, upskilling, lifelong learning, and other support, to advance employment and decent work for all as well as enable our workforce to participate and lead in the digital and green economies.
2021 APEC Leaders’ Declaration
Digital connectivity and innovation are critical across our efforts towards an inclusive, resilient and sustainable recovery. We need to continue to narrow the digital divide by promoting digital skills, encouraging the adoption of innovative working methods, expanding access to digital tools and infrastructure, and ensuring our MSMEs and start-ups are able to harness new and emerging technologies and digital eco-systems.
2020 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
We welcome the varied and continued efforts as well as the contribution of additional resources across APEC to combat the pandemic and support workers and sectors through the economic recovery process.
We welcome the varied and continued efforts as well as the contribution of additional resources across APEC to combat the pandemic and support workers and sectors through the economic recovery process.
We encourage application of new technologies to drive innovation and endeavour to expedite work towards improving digital inclusion, increasing competency in digital skills and narrowing the digital divide as these are core drivers for inclusive economic participation.
2020 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM): Kuala Lumpur Declaration
COVID-19 has transformed the way we work and accelerated the transitions to the future of work setting. We recognise the need for continued structural reforms to improve the ways of doing business and unleash economic prosperity for our people, including accelerating cooperation on digital literacy and skills development to harness technological transformation, and encouraging the use of digital technology to resolve cross-border business-to-business disputes.
We will intensify inclusive human resource development as well as economic and technical cooperation to better equip our people with the skills and knowledge for the future. We will promote economic policies, cooperation and growth which support global efforts to comprehensively address all environmental challenges, including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters, for a sustainable planet.
2019 U.S. APEC Outcomes – Fact Sheet
Innovation and Growth in the Digital Economy
The digital economy is growing rapidly in APEC economies and is a high priority for the United States. Through APEC we are promoting policies that facilitate digital trade and promote a free and open internet. The U.S. digital economy accounts for an estimated 6.9 percent of GDP with the potential to boost annual GDP by $2.2 trillion by 2025. We work in APEC to support U.S. businesses and innovators in the digital economy by…Bridging digital workforce needs through partnerships with employers and academia and the development of an APEC Roadmap on Closing the Digital Skills Gap by 2030…
2019 APEC Host Economy’s Leader’s Statement
We can be proud of APEC’s achievements, while recognizing that the needs of our people are evolving. New prospects are emerging, including through digital technologies and the society of knowledge and information.
2018 APEC Business Advisory Council Report to Leaders
Updating education systems and skills training through collaboration between the public and private sectors.
2018 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
Human Resources Development
We acknowledge efforts by APEC member economies to take advantage of the technological advancements and the digital age to improve the quality of education, including in remote and rural areas, and prepare our people to adapt to the future of work. We also encourage economies to invest more in skills across various levels of education and training, especially in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and supporting lifelong learning and upskilling and reskilling for those already in employment…
We acknowledge that collaboration with the private sector is necessary to ensure that education and training meets industry needs and delivers an effective, progressive and productive workforce…
2018 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM)
…We are committed to making joint efforts to improve digital inclusion and to bridge the digital divide. These efforts will include among others, capacity building, facilitating the construction of and access to secure and resilient digital infrastructure, and the development of skills. We will promote the use of digital technology and innovation for high quality and sustainable development…
2017 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
Human Resources Development in the Digital Age
We acknowledge the progress made in implementing the APEC Education Strategy 2016 – 2030, and welcome its Action Plan to guide our work to promote competencies, innovation and employability in the APEC region. We encourage further cooperation in cross-border education, including higher education, and technical vocational education and training (TVET).
We welcome the outcomes of the High-level Policy Dialogue on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age which focused on promoting quality human resources and education, skills needed in the digital age, sustainable employment, social safety nets and capacity building, particularly for women and youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. We adopt the APEC Framework on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age and submit it to APEC Leaders for their endorsement.
Quality Human Resources Development in the Digital Age
We place importance on the need to prepare our people and all workers, especially vulnerable groups, for the changing world of work. We endorse the APEC Framework on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age. We are committed to strengthening human resources development, including through education and life-long learning, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and up- and re-skilling to increase workers’ employability, mobility and preparedness for the digital age; and ensure that active labor market policies can better match the needs of the labor market with various aspects of skills training and development.
2017 APEC Framework on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age
Skills education and training
(i) Joint and regional research activities to:
● anticipate and identify the future skills and competencies in the region that will be required to meet the need of emerging technologies and digitalization across the life-long learning continuum; and
● investigate and share information on the best means and best practice in teaching, learning, and distance-learning of those skills in need in the digital age.
(ii) Regional/ APEC policy discussions to:
● share views on the need for and implications of the adaptation of education and training systems;
● draw from the experiences of APEC member economies on how to improve implementation of TVET systems including quality assurance system that are better aligned to the needs of the labour market toward inclusive society;
● consider models for public private partnerships that will enable relevant institutional and local/central coordination mechanisms and structures to support skills systems to meet labour market needs;
● develop and implement industry-demand-driven 21st century competencies including technical and soft skills; and
● enhance the use of technology in expanding collaboration between government, academia and industry to develop 21st century competencies and entrepreneurship.
2016 APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
Developing Human Capital
We acknowledge the importance of mainstreaming human development through APEC fora. Thus, we encourage member economies to explore possible cross fora collaboration on human capital development, so as to include MSMEs, women, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities. With a view to preparing our societies for the future world of work, we would welcome a focus on developing 21st century skills, promoting entrepreneurship and boosting employability in our students and youth, including STEM, data analytics and technical skills focusing on women and disadvantaged groups.
Quality Growth and Human Development
We recognize the vital importance of continuing work towards an inclusive education agenda that will enable people of all ages to meet the challenges of a globalized world. Furthermore, realizing that equitable access to high-quality education and training will allow our people to develop skills and competencies from early childhood and throughout their lifetime, we must focus our efforts on improving the quality, mobility and access to education including in partnership with employers, and soft skills development.