The project was funded by UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre (Bonn) and was an important step in contributing towards an understanding of the ways TVET institutions are responding to greening of economies. It was broadly aimed at drawing an overview of patterns in greening jobs in the Asia-Pacific region, teaching/training the skills required to meet the demands of these jobs and analysing skills’ bottlenecks. This study brought qualitative and quantitative information on the skills that TVET students acquire during their studies as perceived by teachers and students themselves. China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines and Sri Lanka took part in this study. Data collected through survey explored how greening through topping up skills in two sectors, namely construction and agriculture, was embedded in TVET programs and how this was related to the government’s agenda on the greening of societies and economies. With a view that there is a need to re-orient education and training to integrate new skill requirements to meet the demands of low-carbon transitions, the results of the study facilitated an understanding on how skills can effectively support transitions and how education and training can further improve, through including inclusion of green skills into in their programs to support implementation of government policies and empowering the youth for greater skills mobility and employability. Policy options for Asia and the Pacific region were also formulated.  The following partners were involved in primary data collection:

 

• Shenzhen Polytechnic, People’s Republic of China (led by Dr Dayue Fan)

• Department of Polytechnic Education, Ministry of Education (DPE, MOE), Malaysia (led by Datuk Haji Mohlis bin Jaafar)

• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Philippines (led by Ms Irene Isaac)

• Mongolian Institute of Educational Research (MERI), Mongolia (led by Ms Duger Bujinlkham)

• Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) Sri Lanka (led by Ms Laksara Eridisuriya)

 

Commencement Date : 2015/3

Completion Date : 2015/7

 

 

Dr. Margarita Pavlova was invited to participate in the expert meeting on Green Skills organized by UNESCO Beijing and the Ministry of Labor, Mongolia. The aim of the meeting was to support the Ministry of Labor, in charge of vocational education and training in the country, to start up the process of greening programs and TVET institutions. Twenty three people took part in the meeting, including representatives from the Ministry of Labor (MoL), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (MECS), Research Institute of Education, NGOs, technical colleges and the Ministry of Environment and Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia (MEGDTM). 

 

The attendees shared the results of their activities and studies and Dr Pavlova presented on Green Skills versus Greening skills: TVET practices in the region. Dr Pavlova’s presentation was based on the results of the project funded by UNESCO-UNEVOC International center, Bonn on the Green Skills-topping up approaches in Asia and the Pacific region. In the presentation, she compared data from Mongolia with other countries to demonstrate where the country sits in the regional landscape. The approaches suggested in her presentation towards identification of green competencies and ways they can be included in curriculum evoked much interest amongst the participants. At the conclusion of the meeting, participants discussed policy recommendations on greening TVET. The representatives from the Ministry of Labor expressed their intention to introduce the concept of green skills in curriculum development in TVET in the country and to work with different international organizations and experts to ensure the quality of interventions. 

 

This visit to Mongolia facilitated knowledge sharing and capacity development while also increased an impact of Dr Pavlova’s green skills research outside academia and made it visible at the country level. During the visit, Dr Pavlova worked with Mongolian experts on the approach and structure on a report that pulls together several projects focused on Green skills in Mongolia. The report is under preparation by the Mongolian colleagues. 

 

 

Presentation by Dr. Margarita Pavlova at the ministry of Labour

 

Participants at the meeting

Dr. Margarita Pavlova was offered a Visiting Scholar position at the UTM which is one of five research universities in Malaysia. The aims of the appointment are improvement of the quality of graduate programs at the Faculty of Education, knowledge sharing and development of collaboration between the Faculty of Education, UTM, the UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong) and the FEHD, EdUHK. As a part of this appointment, she visited the university for the period of 10 – 14 October 2015. During her stay, she conducted a number of seminars and workshops as well as delivered a public presentation to the academic staff of the University. 

 

During her visit, Dr Pavlova met with the Dean, Faculty of Education, Professor Baharuddin Aris and the management team to brief them on the main programs and research at FEHD, EdUHK and identify possible areas for collaboration. Dr Pavlova conducted several activities for the postgraduate students that research TVET, including a workshop to discuss current trends in TVET research, to provide feedback on their research studies and suggest new literature. Another activity with the postgraduate students was a colloquium on the theme ‘how to publish’. Throughout the visit, Margarita Pavlova had an ongoing interactions with the Head of Department of Technical and Engineering (DT&EE), Yusri bin Kamin and his staff on research, publication and postgraduate programs review. A number of meetings and workshops were scheduled.

 

The whole visit was centred around knowledge sharing and capacity development. Dr Pavlova helped DT&EE submit applications to join two TVET networks in the region: UNEVOC network and RAVTE, which would help provide an opportunity for UTM to collaborate in the region and to strengthen their international profile. Through this visit, the following immediate opportunities were identified: i) 2 journal articles and 4 book chapters will be contributed by the staff of DT&EE to the manuscripts Dr Pavlova is editing or involved with. ii) DT&EE will join research project supported by the FEHD and UNESCO UIL on recognition of prior learning and green skills inclusion.

 

 

Faculty members: left to Dr Margarita Pavlova Head of the Department of Technical and Engineering Education Yusri bin Kamin, then the Dean of the Faculty of Education Professor Baharuddin Aris

 

In August 2014, Dr. Margarita Pavlova visited the UNEVOC Centre at Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics (ZJTIE), Hangzhou. She met with the Vice-president of ZJTIE and the Head of the International Office to discuss the ongoing Recognition of Prior Learning project, as well as to further collaboration between the two UNEVOC Centers.

 

 

Two UNEVOC centers discuss plans for collaboration.

 

Chun Lin Huang (Chandler),Vice-President (on the left) and Tony Zheng, Head of Foreign Affairs Office & International Education Centre (on the right),  Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics (ZJTIE), Hangzhou Zhejiang Province China update on the Institute’s development.