Why is there a need for the Skills and Employability Network?

Investing in education and skills helps economies achieve dynamic growth with quality jobs. However, many countries in Asia-Pacific are finding it increasingly difficult to respond to the skills needs of their workforce due to technological change and consequential new patterns of work. Additionally, the out-migration of skilled workers, an aging workforce or simply a lack of capacity to provide training create severe shortages of skilled labour.

The Skills and Employability Network  is also the regional focal point for supporting people with disabilities. There are an estimated 238 million people with disabilities of working age in the Asia Pacific region. While many are successfully employed and fully integrated into society, as a group, persons with disabilities often faced with disproportionate poverty,  unemployment and compounded difficulties in finding decent work. 

There is an urgent need to reinforce skills development and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities based on the principles of equal opportunity, equal treatment, mainstreaming into vocational rehabilitation and employment services programmes and community involvement.

The main purposes of the Skills and Employability Network are to:

·        deliver quality results on skills development;

·        provide easy access to recent knowledge products, expertise, services and tools;

·        provide a forum for discussion and dialogue;

·        identify and understand the needs of constituents and stakeholders; and

·        connect people and their experiences.