Assessment Study - ILO Seoul Training Center (ISTC)

Project Objectives

The Ministry of Employment and Labour (MoEL), Republic of Korea, presented a proposal to establish a new skills training center – the ILO Seoul Training Center (ISTC) – as a partnership between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the ILO. The ISTC would provide an international setting where managers, practitioners, teacher trainers, and government agencies could learn and share experiences on developing and delivering technical vocational education and training (TVET). The center would fill a perceived gap in international opportunities for information-sharing between key stakeholders.

The project “Assessment Study – ILO Seoul Training Center (ISTC)” will help develop a common understanding of the potential benefits, costs, and success/risk factors in establishing and operating the center. This assessment will also include identifying the institutional and legal aspects of the proposed center.
The objective is to assess the relevance of the MoEL proposal to establish a skills training center in Seoul and to assist the concerned decision makers by suggesting possible options for realizing such a proposal.

The study covers a number of substantive concerns, including:

• Assessment of the current situation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation as it relates to the development of vocational training, and analysis of achievements, shortcomings and challenges relevant to the global development agenda and the mandate of the ILO.
• Demand analysis by identifying possible beneficiary countries and their demands and interests in the various potential services of ISTC, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and African regions.
• Comparative description of different institutional setups for the ISTC, including as a stand-alone center, as dedicated training programmes provided through existing Korean or ILO institutions, etc.
• Budget estimates and options to cover the fixed and recurring costs of the above institutional options.
• Legal assessment of the options of different institutional setups, including approval requirements and their related timelines, tripartite governance, budgets, reporting requirements to the Government of the Republic of Korea and the ILO Governing Body.
• Conclusions and recommendations from the assessment, and findings and recommendations on the next steps.

A variety of methodologies will be mobilized for this study:

• A literature review concerning global and regional issues of skills development.
• Survey of concerned stakeholders.
• Site visits and interviews with training providers and experts.
• Consultations with key personnel in the ILO and the Government of the Republic of Korea.

All the information collected will be examined and reviewed by the members of the Assessment Study Team, and an agreed conclusion and recommendations will be developed.

Project Outcomes

The growing importance of skills development throughout the world, particularly in developing economies and increasing need for training and access to international good practices related to workforce development fully justifies the establishment of the ISTC. The ISTC, with its emphasis on future-oriented practical skills development, will support the ILO in carrying out its strategic mandate and provide an opportunity for the Republic of Korea to showcase its expertise and enhance its contribution to the global community.

The recommendation and conclusions of the Study include:

• The ISTC be established.
• ILO and the Government of the Republic of Korea meet to review their response to the Assessment Study and to plan concrete next steps.
• The geographical coverage of the ISTC should include Asia-Pacific (including South Asia), Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The proposed direct beneficiaries will be managers, practitioners, teachers/trainers, industry partners and government agencies of the aforementioned regions. They will benefit from learning and sharing experiences in developing and delivering vocational education training.
• The ISTC will potentially make a significant contribution to TVET training worldwide particularly in the following areas: technology upskilling for TVET teachers and trainers; institutional management upskilling; industry partnership modelling; mobilisation of a global skills network and multi-site collaboration; provision of e-learning materials especially for workplace skills development; and policy development by government officials and social partners.