PENANG, 12 – 14 May 2026 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) are strengthening cooperation to advance workforce readiness and skills development across Southeast Asia through the Closing the Gap Workshop 2026, taking place from 12–14 May 2026 in Penang, Malaysia.
Jointly organised by the Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE), Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) programme, implemented by Nuffic and DAAD, the workshop brings together representatives from governments, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, the private sector, and regional organisations across ASEAN. Participants will exchange experiences and explore practical partnership models to strengthen collaboration between education systems and industry.
Opening the workshop, H.E. Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN, highlighted the importance of strengthening education–industry partnerships to support ASEAN’s evolving skills needs.
“Today’s workshop is a concrete step in implementing the ASEAN–EU Plan of Action 2023–2027, where we committed to deepen our cooperation on Technical and Vocational Education and Training by sharing best practices and advancing TVET across the region. TVET is at the heart of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which promotes sustainable connectivity in key sectors such as digital, transport, climate and energy, health, and – crucially – education and research. The success of Global Gateway investments depends on a skilled local workforce, so that our investments in green energy, digital connectivity, transport and health translate into quality jobs and lasting benefits for the peoples of ASEAN and the EU.”
The Director of the TVET Coordination Division, Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE), Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, Dr. Zamzam bin Mohd Walid, noted that Malaysia is strengthening its TVET ecosystem by integrating technical competencies with critical thinking, adaptability, and lifelong learning, in line with the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035, which promotes a more flexible and industry-connected learning ecosystem.
“The future of education must extend beyond classrooms, taking place across workplaces and collaborative platforms that bridge academia and industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, Director General of DPCCE, Dr. Shamsuri bin Abdullah, reaffirmed the department’s commitment to advancing a responsive and industry-driven TVET ecosystem.
“Initiatives such as this workshop are key to strengthening alignment between education and industry, ensuring learners are equipped with relevant skills for the future of work,” he said.
The Closing the Gap Workshop series was launched under the SCOPE-HE programme to address persistent employability challenges and strengthen the alignment between TVET systems and labour market needs across ASEAN. Rapid economic transformation driven by the green transition and digital transformation is increasing demand for new skills, reinforcing the importance of stronger collaboration between education providers and industry.
The series builds on findings from the Study on the Employability of Vocational Graduates in the Agri-Food Sector in ASEAN, conducted by SEAMEO VOCTECH, which highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation among governments, TVET institutions, and the private sector.
The first workshop held in Bangkok in 2024 identified key employability gaps affecting the sector, while the second workshop held in Phnom Penh in 2025 explored actionable solutions to address these challenges. The 2026 workshop in Penang builds on these discussions by showcasing best practices and exploring how successful partnership models can be strengthened and scaled across ASEAN.
Throughout the workshop, participants will engage in panel discussions, group work sessions, and interactive exercises designed to identify effective collaboration mechanisms that enhance TVET relevance, improve employability outcomes, and strengthen workforce readiness. The programme also includes a site visit to Robert Bosch (M) Sdn Bhd, offering practical insights into industry–education collaboration models.
In his keynote address, Dr. Rangsan Thepmondhri, Director of Public Sector Development Group of the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), Ministry of Education, Thailand, speaking on behalf of the Chair of the ASEAN TVET Council, emphasised the need for sustained partnerships and innovation to strengthen ASEAN’s TVET ecosystem.
“Strengthening ASEAN’s TVET ecosystem requires more than isolated initiatives; it calls for sustained partnerships, innovation, and a shared commitment to equipping our workforce with relevant skills. By working closely across sectors and countries, we can better prepare our people to navigate the green and digital transitions and ensure that skills development systems remain responsive to the future of work.”
The workshop is expected to produce documented partnership models and practical recommendations to strengthen collaboration among governments, TVET institutions, industry, and development partners. These outcomes will contribute to the development of a regional roadmap to be discussed at the final Closing the Gap Workshop in 2027.
The initiative contributes to ASEAN’s broader efforts to strengthen skills development and workforce readiness, in line with the ASEAN TVET Council Work Plan 2021–2030 and the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan 2026–2035.
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About ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967 and constitutes eleven Member States: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste. On 31 December 2015, the ASEAN Community was formally established, encompassing the political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars. The ASEAN Headquarters is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, visit https://asean.org/
About the European Union (EU)
The European Union (EU) is the economic and political union of 27 Member States with a population of 470 million. Together, the EU has built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development while maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedom. In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the goals of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. The EU is the world’s largest trading bloc, and the world’s largest source and destination of foreign direct investment. Collectively, the EU and its Member States are the largest donors of Official Development Assistance (ODA), providing more than half of ODA globally.
The 27 Member States of the EU (in protocol order) are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
For more information about the EU and its relations and cooperation with ASEAN, access: http://eeas.europa.eu/asean
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About SCOPE-HE Programme
The EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) is a collaborative initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and approved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), running from February 2024 to January 2028 with a budget of EUR 9.3 million. Implemented by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), SCOPE-HE builds on previous programmes like EU Support for Higher Education in ASEAN Region (SHARE) and ERASMUS+.
The SCOPE-HE programme focuses on enhancing exchanges and connectivity in higher education, research, and technical and vocational education and training within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the EU, with particular emphasis on the green transition, digital transformation, and the blue economy. Key activities include facilitating student and academic mobility, strengthening university networks to foster research collaboration, and improving graduate employability by connecting vocational education institutions with the private sector. Through these efforts, SCOPE-HE aims to create a more connected and dynamic higher education landscape, empowering future generations and strengthening the economic and social fabric of the region.
For more information about the SCOPE-HE programme, access: https://euinasean.eu/scope-he/
