DATE: June 29 - July 3, 2026 |
Venue: Hilton Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Type: Regional Program (RP) |
ORGANIZERS: Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), Philippines, in collaboration with The Colombo Plan (CP), Colombo, Sri Lanka |
BACKGROUND
The Colombo Plan has historically promoted the spirit of self-help and mutual help among member countries. After 75 years of development cooperation, the regional context requires a renewed focus on human capital development through practical skills, institutional capacity building, and cross-country collaboration. TVET provides a strong entry point for this renewed cooperation because skills development directly contributes to productivity, employability, innovation, social inclusion, and national competitiveness.
CPSC, as a regional intergovernmental organization dedicated to human resources development in the Asia-Pacific region, is well positioned to convene this program. The College supports member countries through professional training, conferences, curriculum development, research, advisory services, quality assurance, accreditation support, and regional knowledge exchange. This program will consolidate CPSC’s technical expertise with the broader Colombo Plan cooperation platform.
The training program is designed around four major transformation pillars:
future-ready and digital TVET; quality assurance and accreditation; green and
inclusive skills development; and regional cooperation through country action
plans. The APACC 2025 Framework will serve as an important reference point for
institutional benchmarking and quality transformation because it promotes
digitalization, sustainability, KPI-based institutional assessment, Industry
4.0 to Industry 5.0 transition, and continuous improvement in TVET
institutions.
The program will also carry special symbolic value because
the final day, July 3, 2026, will include the closing ceremony and The Colombo
Plan 75th Anniversary Celebration Dinner.
RELEVANCE TO THE ASIA-PACIFIC CONTEXT AND COLOMBO PLAN 75-YEAR MILESTONE
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems across Asia and the Pacific are facing a decisive period of transformation. Countries are required to prepare a future-ready skilled workforce capable of responding to rapid technological change, artificial intelligence, digitalization, green transition, climate resilience, demographic shifts, labour mobility and emerging Industry 5.0 imperatives. At the same time, TVET systems are expected to become more inclusive, quality-assured, industry-responsive and regionally connected.
The proposed Regional Training Program is designed as a flagship regional capacity-building initiative to be convened in Colombo, Sri Lanka from June 29 to July 3, 2026. It will be linked with The Colombo Plan 75-year milestone celebration and will position TVET as a strategic instrument for human capital development, South-South cooperation, mutual help, institutional excellence and regional integration.
The program will provide a platform for CPSC member countries and relevant regional partners to review common TVET challenges, exchange innovative practices, and formulate practical action plans for regional cooperation through TVET. It will also highlight the role of the Colombo Plan Secretariat as a historic platform for regional development cooperation and CPSC as its specialized institution for TVET leadership, quality assurance, training, research, and knowledge exchange.
The program is particularly relevant because Asia-Pacific countries are working to align TVET systems with:
- Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data-driven governance, smart campuses, and future skills;
- Quality assurance, accreditation, institutional benchmarking, and APACC 2025-based transformation;
- Green TVET, climate-responsive skills, Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) approaches, and sustainable development;
- Inclusive TVET systems that promote gender equity, youth employability, access for marginalized groups, and lifelong learning;
- Regional cooperation mechanisms for workforce mobility, joint training, faculty exchange, institutional twinning, and knowledge sharing.
This Regional Training Program is significant for CPSC, the Colombo Plan Secretariat and participating countries because it connects the historic legacy of the Colombo Plan with the future skills agenda of the Asia-Pacific region. The program is not only a training event but also a regional platform for policy dialogue, institutional learning, partnership building, and action planning.
The initiative will:
- Create a common understanding of future-ready workforce requirements in Asia & Pacific;
- Promote regional collaboration and cooperation through TVET under the Colombo Plan platform;
- Strengthen institutional capacity in digital transformation, AI-enabled TVET and future skills;
- Enhance awareness of APACC 2025, accreditation readiness and institutional benchmarking;
- Advance green TVET, climate-responsive skills, gender inclusion and sustainable development;
- Produce country action plans and a draft regional collaboration framework for TVET cooperation;
- Reinforce CPSC’s role as a regional center of excellence for TVET capacity development and APACC-based quality assurance.
CONCLUSION AND ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF REGIONAL PROGRAM
The Regional Training Program on Future-Ready Skilled Workforce and Skills Development will serve as a timely and strategic initiative to connect The Colombo Plan’s 75-year legacy with the future skills priorities of Asia and the Pacific. By focusing on digital transformation, AI-enabled TVET, quality assurance, APACC 2025-based benchmarking, green skills, inclusion and regional cooperation, the program will help participating countries translate regional dialogue into practical institutional and country-level actions.
The anticipated impact of the program is the creation of a stronger regional
platform for TVET cooperation, supported by common action plans, institutional
roadmaps, shared quality assurance perspectives and collaborative initiatives.
It will also strengthen the role of CPSC as a specialized TVET
capacity-building institution under the broader The Colombo Plan spirit of
cooperation, human capital development and mutual assistance.
Overall, the
program is expected to contribute to the development of future-ready skilled
workforces, globally competitive TVET institutions, quality-assured training
systems and sustainable regional collaboration in Asia and the Pacific.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the program, participants are expected to be able to:
- Analyze regional TVET challenges and opportunities in preparing a future-ready skilled workforce;
- Identify strategies for digital transformation, AI-enabled learning, data-driven TVET governance and future skills development;
- Apply quality assurance, accreditation, benchmarking and APACC 2025 perspectives to institutional improvement;
- Integrate green TVET, climate-responsive skills, inclusion, gender and sustainable development in institutional plans;
- Develop institutional action plans/roadmaps and formulate practical areas of regional cooperation for future-ready skills development
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
- Regional TVET challenges and opportunities matrix for Asia-Pacific countries;
- Digital transformation and future skills readiness maps from participating countries/institutions;
- APACC-based institutional quality assurance and benchmarking gap analysis outputs;
- Green, inclusive, and climate-responsive TVET initiative proposals;
- Institutional roadmaps for future-ready skills development and country action plans for regional cooperation
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
- Strengthened regional understanding of future-ready workforce and skills development priorities;
- Enhanced capacity of TVET leaders to align institutional systems with digital, green, inclusive, and quality-assured TVET requirements;
- Improved readiness of participating institutions for APACC 2025-based quality improvement and benchmarking;
- Greater cooperation among CPSC member countries for shared TVET solutions, faculty exchange, benchmarking, and joint initiatives;
- Stronger positioning of TVET as a core driver of human capital development under the Colombo Plan platform.
PROGRAM CONTENTS
Special Lecture: Regional Collaboration and Cooperation through TVET
in Asia and the Pacific under the Colombo Plan - Prof. (Dr.)
Suresh Kumar Dhameja
Purpose: To frame the program
within the 75-year legacy of the Colombo Plan and highlight TVET as a
strategic platform for regional cooperation, human capital development, and
future-ready skills.
Expected Output: Participants will
develop a shared understanding of The Colombo Plan’s role in promoting
regional TVET collaboration and future skills development.
Theme Papers:
- Theme paper 1: TVET Challenges and Opportunities Mapping – Sri
Lankan perspective
Purpose: To map the challenges being confronted by Asia Pacific countries and the prospective opportunities to be tapped through regional collaboration.
Expected Output: Challenges and opportunity framework for TVET in Asia Pacific member countries through regional collaboration - Theme Paper 2: Future-Ready Skills and Digital Competency
Frameworks for TVET
Purpose: To explain future skills trends, digital competencies, and AI-related capabilities required by TVET graduates, trainers, and institutions.
Expected Output: Participants will understand how future skills and 21st-century competencies can be integrated into TVET curriculum, training delivery, and workforce development. - Theme Paper 3: Building Smart and AI-Enabled TVET
Ecosystems
Purpose: To introduce smart campus systems, LMS/ERP platforms, AI learning analytics, AR/VR simulation, automation, and data governance for TVET transformation.
Expected Output: Participants will understand key components of smart and AI-enabled TVET institutions. - Theme Paper 4: Green, Sustainable and Inclusive
TVET
Purpose: To introduce Green TVET, green jobs, climate-responsive skills, BCG approaches, and concepts of inclusivity and sustainability integration in curriculum and campus operations.
Expected Output: Participants will understand how to align TVET programs with green skills, inclusive, sustainability and climate-responsive development. - Theme Paper 5: APACC-2025 Framework as Catalyst for
Quality-Assured TVET Transformation
Purpose: To explain the APACC 2025 Framework as a tool for institutional excellence, accreditation readiness, sustainability, innovation, and regional benchmarking.
Expected Output: Participants will understand how APACC supports quality-assured and future-ready TVET transformation.
Group Workshops/Activities
- Workshop 1: Designing an AI-enabled TVET transformation
roadmap
Purpose: A simulation-based exercise on how to introduce smart campus systems, LMS/ERP platforms, AI learning analytics, AR/VR simulation, automation, and data governance in TVET institutions.
Expected Output: Participants will understand key components of institutional transformation through smart and AI-enabled TVET practices - Workshop 2: Smart, Digital and BCG compliant TVET Institutions
with the lens of APACC 2025
Framework
Purpose: To assess institutional green practices, green skills gaps, and opportunities for climate-responsive TVET programs.
Expected Output: A green skills and BCG readiness map with proposed institutional greening interventions. - Workshop 3: APACC-2025 Self-Assessment and Benchmarking
Matrix
Purpose: Simulation-based exercise using the APACC-2025 Self-Assessment and Benchmarking Matrix to evaluate institutional performance, identify gaps, and align TVET institutions with regional quality standards.
Expected Output: Participants will develop a practical understanding of how to use the matrix for accreditation readiness, continuous improvement, sustainability, innovation, and regional benchmarking - Final Workshop: Country Action Planning for Promoting Regional
Cooperation through TVET’s Best Practices
Purpose: To consolidate program learning into country action plans, institutional roadmaps, and a regional cooperation framework for future-ready skills development.
Expected Output: A regional TVET cooperation action plan covering digital transformation, AI-enabled TVET, APACC-based quality assurance, Green TVET, inclusion, faculty exchange, joint research, and follow-up mechanisms through CPSC and the Colombo Plan platform.
International Conference on Future-ready TVET and Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific (Advancing Digital Transformation, Green Skills, Quality Assurance, and Inclusive Workforce Development under the Colombo Plan Framework)
Purpose: To provide a regional platform for sharing best
practices, strengthening partnerships, and advancing collaborative strategies
for future-ready TVET through digital transformation, green skills, quality
assurance, and inclusive workforce development.
Expected
Output: Enhanced regional cooperation and policy dialogue through
conference recommendations, country best practice sharing, collaborative
initiatives, and strengthened institutional networks for future-ready and
sustainable TVET transformation in Asia and the Pacific.
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
Instructional Strategies
The program will use an interactive, outcome-oriented, and practice-based learning approach. Each technical day will combine theme papers, guided workshops, group work, country sharing, peer learning, and action planning. The methodology will ensure that participants not only receive conceptual inputs but also convert learning into practical institutional and country-level outputs.
The program methodology will include:
- Theme papers and special lectures;
- Country experience sharing and regional best practices discussion;
- Guided workshops and group work assignments;
- Institutional self-assessment, benchmarking, and gap analysis;
- Development of country action plans and institutional roadmaps;
- Presentation and refinement of the regional collaboration framework.
PARTICIPANTS’ PROFILE
The program is intended for approximately 25 regional participants from CPSC member countries in Asia and the Pacific region and relevant partner institutions.
The target participants may include:
- Senior TVET officials and policymakers;
- Directors and heads of TVET institutions;
- Quality assurance and accreditation officers;
- Curriculum development and teacher/trainer development specialists;
- Industry linkage and employability officers in TVET sector;
- Green skills, digital TVET, and inclusion focal persons;
- Representatives of national training authorities, ministries, universities, and development partners.
DATE AND VENUE
Date: June 29 – July 3,
2026
Delivery Mode: Face-to-face, with provision for
online or synchronous delivery.
Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka.
FACILITIES REQUIREMENTS
To conduct the program smoothly, the following facilities are required:
- Training hall with flexible seating for group work and presentations.
- Laptop computers for participants and resource persons.
- Stable internet connection.
- Audio and video equipment.
- Multimedia projector, projection screen, and presentation clicker.
- Whiteboards, flip charts, markers, and workshop materials.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Program Schedule
