Capacity building and knowledge exchange
Knowledge exchange fundamental to driving productive employment amidst structural shifts
ITCILO Employment Academy underscores the importance of adapting policies to meet the needs of today’s rapidly changing labour market.
7 August 2026
BANGKOK (ILO News) - In a fast-evolving labour landscape influenced by technological transformation, green transitions, and demographic shifts, it is crucial to ensure that new policy formulations address these structural changes. To adapt to the rapid disruptions in the world of work, knowledge sharing among policymakers, workers’ and employers’ representatives is key to advancing productivity gains and driving sustainable growth, decent work, and social justice for all.
Recognizing the importance of this, the ILO “Promoting the Global Development Initiative with a Focus on South-South Cooperation in Employment in ASEAN (ProSSCE-ASEAN)” project supported representatives of governments, employers' and workers' organizations from South-East Asia to attend the “ITCILO Employment academy: Technology, productivity and structural transformation for social justice,” from 22 June to 10 July 2026 to foster peer-to-peer learning and translate insights into impact nationally, regionally, and globally. This is part of the ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN project’s commitment to leveraging knowledge generation and sharing, policy dialogue and capacity development to support policymakers in addressing labour market issues in South-East Asia and promoting employment policies and opportunities for decent work.
“Participating in the Employment Academy reaffirmed that the future of work is not only about technology or productivity; it is about people and institutions working together. My greatest takeaway is the importance of collaborative governance. Whether addressing Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, skills development, crisis response, or productivity, sustainable solutions require governments, employers, workers, academia, and other stakeholders to co-create policies based on evidence, strengthened by social dialogue, and guided by human judgment,” said Sheryl U. Joaquin, Supervising Labour and Employment Officer, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 9, Philippines.
“The Academy reinforced the importance of integrating employment, productivity, skills, and social protection policies within a coherent framework. In my work at Malaysia's Ministry of Finance, I will apply these insights by promoting evidence-based labour market policies, strengthening inter-ministerial coordination and using labour market intelligence to support structural transformation. This will help ensure that productivity gains translate into quality jobs, higher wages and more inclusive economic growth,” said Muhamad Azhan bin Mohd Nor, Principal Assistant Secretary, Fiscal and Economics Division, Ministry of Finance Malaysia.
The 2026 Employment Academy is jointly organized by the Employment, Skills and Sustainable Enterprises Department of the ILO and the Employment Policy and Analysis Programme of the ITCILO. The training highlighted the importance of upholding social justice, policy alignment, and inclusive dialogue in the pursuit of enhanced productivity and economic development. It was delivered in a hybrid format, combining online sessions and an in-person segment. The Academy aims to strengthen participants’ approach to advancing productivity alongside the decent work agenda.
“Continuous capacity building is vital because the complexity of the decent work agenda demands a new paradigm of inclusive collaboration. As rapid automation outpaces static legislative cycles, shared knowledge ensures stakeholders navigate structural transitions from a unified, evidence-based baseline. This continuous social dialogue builds the deep institutional trust required to successfully negotiate flexible upskilling clauses, manage market frictions, and implement fair wage coordination mechanisms,” said Abdul Rahim Bin Abdul Razak, Chief Assistant Secretary, Secretariat of the National Wages Consultative Council (NWCC), Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.
It is through continuous capacity development and knowledge exchange that countries remain informed of the latest labour market trends for timely policy adaptation. A people-centred and inclusive approach to boosting labour productivity can pave the way for sustainable growth and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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For further information please contact:
Tarinee Youkhaw
Advocacy & Knowledge Management Officer
ILO ProSSCE-ASEAN project
Email: [email protected]
Relevant projects
Employment promotion and South-South and Triangular cooperation
Promoting the global development initiative with a focus on South-South cooperation in employment in ASEAN