“We must invest in young people’s skills to build a more sustainable and inclusive future for the construction industry across the region.”
— ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid emphasizes.
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INTRAMUROS, Manila, June 26, 2025 (SDN) — Young people in the Philippines and Thailand will soon be equipped with digital and green skills with the launch today, Thursday, of a new initiative of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Dubbed the “Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN”, ILO Philippines Country Director Khalid Hassan led the launch here of the project together with ILO’s partners.
The project is focused on the construction sector in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to equip the youth, initially Filipino and Thai youths so they would be able to navigate the gauntlet of challenges facing the sector.
ILO is confident the new initiative will accelerate the transition of Southeast Asia’s construction sector leading to sustainability as it equips the youth with the skills they need to power this change and make them more employable.
The ILO Philippines official cited the importance of arming the ASEAN youth with skills that provide them a fighting chance as the challenges brought about by digital transformation and climate change continue to impact the world.
“We must invest in young people’s skills to build a more sustainable and inclusive future for the construction industry across the region,” Khalid emphasizes.
“This initiative supports that vision by equipping youth with the tools they need to thrive in the construction industry of tomorrow. We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Korea for their invaluable support in making this possible.”
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Carmela Torres, of the Employment and Human Resource Development (DOLE-EHRD), welcome the project
“Let us embrace this opportunity to equip our youth with the digital and green skills they need to transform the construction sector, ensuring it remains a powerful engine for decent jobs, sustainable development, and just future for all,” says Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Carmela Torres, of the Employment and Human Resource Development (DOLE-EHRD).
- Identification of digital and green skills needed at the national level, covering the Philippines and Thailand.
- Sharing, discussion and identification of digital and green skills needs at the regional ASEAN level (ACF).
- Development of regional digital and green skills programs (3-5 programs), to include assessment and certification.
- Selection of digital and green skills training programs suitable for EBT/apprenticeships.
- Design and implementation of EBT/apprenticeship programs.
- M&E documentation of good practices.
— EDD K. Usman (√)