COLOMBO PROCESS Thematic Area Working Group Meeting: Building synergy between Skills and Qualification Recognition and Labour Market Analysis

Time
(Sri Lanka local time)

Day 1

Chair/ Resource persons

8:30-9:00

Registration

9:00-9:30

Lighting of the traditional oil lamp

Welcome remarks

• Mr. H.M. Gamini Senevirathne, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Employment, Sri Lanka, as Chair of TAWG on Skills and Qualification Recognition
• Mr. Somsak Apiwantanakul, Assistant Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Thailand, as Chair of TAWG on Labour Market Analysis

Remarks from the Development Partner

• Mr. Benil Thavarasa, Head of Migration and Development Unit, Global Programme - Migration and Development Office, Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Photo session

MC:
Ms. Nilukshi Fernando, Project Coordinator, Colombo Process Technical Support Unit (CPTSU),
IOM Sri Lanka

9:30-9:40

Introduction of participants

MC: CPTSU

9:40-10:20

Scene setting

• Meeting objectives by Ms. Lara White, Senior Labour Migration Specialist, IOM ROAP
• Relevant recommendations from the CP joint recommendations to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) by Mr. Bhuwan Prasad Acharya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nepal as Colombo Process Chair
• Key conclusions and recommendations from the ILO Inter-regional Experts Forum on Skills and Migration by Mr. Max Tunon, Migration Specialist, ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia (DWT)

Moderator:
Ms. Lara White, Senior Labour Migration Specialist, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), IOM

Discussions related to Skills and Qualification Recognition

10:20-11:40

1. Exploring possibilities of establishing a Regional Qualification Framework (RQF)

• Presentation by resource persons:
  • Proposal on the objectives, guiding principles, modalities, link with regional platforms, etc. by

Mr. Max Tunon, Migration Specialist, ILO DWT (20 minutes)

• The ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework by Ms. Irene Isaac, ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework Committee Member, ASEAN (20 minutes)

• Discussion (40 minutes)

Chair:
Mrs. Padmini Rathnayake, Advisor to Honorable Minister, Ministry of Foreign Employment,
Sri Lanka

Resource Person:
Mr. Gabriel Bordado, Employment and Skills Specialist, ILO DWT

11:40-12:00

Tea break

12:00-13:30

2. Drafting a Road Map towards the RQF

• Presenting a draft Road Map by Mr. Gabriel Bordado, Employment and Skills Specialist, ILO DWT (25 minutes)
• Private sector’s views: feedback on the proposed road map – reflections on qualifications frameworks in origin and destination by Mr. Raaj Singh, Snathe Contracting (15 minutes)

• Discussion (50 minutes)

Chair: Sri Lanka

Resource Person:
Mr. Max Tunon, Migration Specialist, ILO DWT

13:30-14:30

Lunch

14:30-15:50

3. Recognition of prior learning for migrant workers

• Experience sharing: Global level by Mr. Ashwani Aggarwal, Senior Skills and Employability Specialist, ILO Geneva (via Bluejeans) (15 minutes)
• Experience sharing from CP Member States (10 minutes each)
  • Adoption and piloting of a new RPL mechanism for return migrant workers by Sri Lanka (TAWG Chair)
  • RPL mechanism for migrant workers by Mr. S.M. Shahjahan, Deputy Director (Course Accreditation), Bangladesh Technical Education Board
  • On-site assessment for migrant workers

by Ms. Susan Dela Rama, Executive Director of Certification Office, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, The Philippines

• Discussion (35 minutes)

Chair: Sri Lanka

Resource Person:
Ms. Thilini Fernando, Focal Person for Migration Skills Project, ILO Sri Lanka

15:50-16:10

Tea Break

16:10-17:30

4. Models of skilling migrant workers
- Experience sharing from CP Member States (10 minutes each)

• India International Skilling Centers by Mr. Ravinder Nath, Director (OIA-1), Ministry of External Affairs, India
• National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTCC) approaches to skilling migrants by Mr. Engr. Syed Qasim Shah, Director General NAVTTC KPK & FATA, Regional Office NAVTTC Peshawar, Pakistan
• Chinese vocational training and qualification recognition system and the practice of skilling migrant workers by Mr. Yiwu Wang, Deputy Director, Overseas Employment Service Department, China International Contractors Association and

Mr. Guo Baozhong, General Manager Assistant of BCEGI, Labor Service Department, BCEG International Co., Ltd., China

• Support to the Skills Development and Migration Management Action Plan in Bangladesh by

Mr. Sajjad Ahmed, National Programme Officer, Labour Migration, IOM Dhaka

• Discussion (40 minutes)

Chair: Sri Lanka

Resource Person:
Mr. Raaj Singh, Snathe Contracting

17:30-17:40

Wrap up of Day 1

Day 2

Discussions related to Labour Market Analysis

9:00-10:00

5. Discussion: Latest initiatives and good practices from CPMS (focusing on capacity building of Labour Market Research and Analysis units)

• Experience sharing (10 minutes each)
  • Thailand (TAWG Chair), represented by

Mr. Wutthisak Pathomsart, Labour Specialist, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour

• Indonesia, represented by Mr. Victoryado Shandez Joseph, Head Section of Foreign Labour Market Analysis, Directorate of Labour Market Development, Ministry of Manpower
• Viet Nam (tbc)

• Discussion (30 minutes)

*Experience sharing and discussion shall cover other salient issues for the TAWG, including gender-specific initiatives, initiatives to promote higher wages and exploration of new labour markets for skilled workers.

Chair:
Mr. Somsak Apiwantanakul, Assistant Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Thailand

Resource Person:
Ms. Masako Ueda, Technical Expert, CPTSU

10:00-11:30

6. Gauging Labour Market trends

• Experience sharing (15 minutes each)
  • Private sector placements by Mr. Omar Tahboub, General Manager, BAYT
  • Methods for improving inter-regional exchange of Labour Market Information & Analysis by Dr. Kinan Bahnassi, Chief Technical Adviser, ILO
  • Role of Labour Attaches in tracking labour market trends and requirements of CODs by the Philippines (tbc)

• Q&A and discussion (45 minutes)

Chair: Thailand

Resource Person:
Ms. Lara White, Senior Labour Migration Specialist, IOM ROAP

11:30-11:50

Tea break

11:50-13:00
(9:20-10:30 Bahrain time)

7. Experiences of CODs in assessing demand for migrant workers across different job categories
- Experience sharing

• H. E. Mr. Ausamah Al Absi, Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Labour Market Regulatory Authority, Bahrain (20 minutes) (via Bluejeans)
• Mr. Kwak Hunjong, Director General, EPS Centre of HRD Korea, Republic of Korea (15 minutes)

• Discussions (35 minutes)

Chair: Thailand

Resource Person:
Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani, Programme Manager- GCC, IOM Kuwait

13:00-14:00

Lunch

14:00-14:40

8. Development of a Labour Market Research Operational Guide for CPMS

• Update and Discussion (40 minutes)

Moderator:
Ms. Masako Ueda, Technical Expert, CPTSU

14:40-15:00

Tea Break

15:00-16:00

Group discussion:

• Assessment of progress towards TAWG goals and key tasks
• Revisiting and prioritizing TAWG key tasks
• Future of TAWG

Each group to be chaired
by Sri Lanka and Thailand respectively

16:00-16:50

Summary session: synthesizing the meeting discussions and ways forward

• Sharing of group discussions (the respective TAWG Chairs) (10 minutes each)
• Discussion on ensuring synergy between two thematic areas in future activities of both TAWGs

Moderators:
Mr. Max Tunon, Migration Specialist, ILO DWT

Ms. Masako Ueda, Technical Expert, CPTSU

16:50-17:00

Closing remarks

• Mrs. Yamuna Perera, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Employment, Sri Lanka, as Chair of TAWG on Skills and Qualification Recognition
• Mr. Somsak Apiwantanakul, Assistant Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Thailand, as Chair of TAWG on Labour Market Analysis

MC: CPTSU