The Vocational and Professional Education
and Training (VPET) International Conference 2020 is a worldwide gathering for
VPET leaders, policymakers, academics, industry representatives and
practitioners and was held on 15th May 2020 online. Themed
"Skilling for the Future", the Conference address prominent issues in
VPET head on, share best practices and tactics for advancing VPET and skills
development for a new era.
In the beginning, Mr. Kevin Yeung Yun Hung
(Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, HKSAR) gave an opening keynote.
The first
keynote speaker was Mr. Olli-Pekka Heinonen (Director General, Finnish National
Agency for Education, Finland) and is topic named “Six Seismic Shifts in VPET”.
He mentioned six seismic shifts as
follows.
i)
Education System to Learning
System
ii)
Mass Education to Personalized
Learning
iii)
Individual Professionalism to
Shared and Dynamic Professionalism
iv)
Recruitment-based HR to
Learning Organizations
v)
Fixed Mindset to Growth Mindset
vi)
Map to Compass
Lastly, he
introduced the new vocational education and training roadmap.
The second
keynote speaker was Prof. Sir Chris Husbands (Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam
University) and his topic entitled “Making Vocational Education Work in a
Changing World”. Firstly, he quoted
Andreas Schleicher (OECD) statement to explain the strategic challenge for
twenty-first century economies. The statement is “You have two choices. You can
go into the race to the bottom, lowering wages for low-skill jobs. Or you can
try to win in innovation and competitiveness. In the long run, if you don’t
have natural resources to sell, skills are the only way of competing.”
Because work
is changing faster than education. Prof.
Chris Husbands proposed four practice steps to gear education systems below:
i)
Put the individual learner at
the centre
ii)
Create multiple ‘pathways to
prosperity’
iii)
Build connections between
governments, employers and education institutions
iv)
Ensure that accountability
measures drive flexibilities
Finally, Prof.
Chris Husbands discussed seven conditions for success VPET.
i)
Understand that the future
economy will be different
ii)
Recognize that basic skills are
essential
iii)
Co-design learning between
employers and educational institutions
iv)
Flexibilities are required on
all sides with strong partnerships, especially for small employers
v)
Make mistakes and learn from
them
vi)
Experience is not learning.
Learning in the workplace needs to be actively planned and managed.
vii)
Put learners at the centre
After break, Plenary Session named “Applied Education & Future Skills in the Digital Era”.
Prof.
Christina Hong (President, THEi, VTC) is Convenor, and Panel Members included
Prof. Philipp Gonon (Director of the Institute of Education , University of
Zurich, Switzerland), Dr. Sean Gallagher (Director, Centre for the New
Workforce, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia) and Mr. Andrew Chong
(Chairman, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore)
In Afternoon Session
– Thematic Session entitled “Why Workplace Training Counts”, Mr. Eric Pang Yiu
Hung (Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, EMSD, HKSAR) was convenor
and the panel members included Mr. Josh Williams (Principal International
Consultant, Skills International, New Zealand), Mr. Kevin O’Brien (Chief Executive,
The Jardine Engineering Corporation Limited, HK), Mr. Carl-Fredik Zachrisson
(Managing Director, Scania (HK) Limited) and Mr. Patrick Wong (Executive
General Manager, Operations Support, HAECO, HK).
Mr. Eric Pang
Yiu Hung (Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, EMSD, HKSAR) shared
over 6000 graduates from EMSD’s Apprentice Training Scheme since 1955. Then he mentioned their major parties
including Education Providers, Consultants, Employers and Trainees.
Mr. Josh
Williams (Principal International Consultant, Skills International, New
Zealand) shared their Skills Group including “Career Transitions &
Outplacement Service”, “Leadership & Management Public & In-house
Training”, “Learning Design, e-learning & LMS Support”, “Consultancy and
Coaching”, “Technical Training”, “Employee Assistance Programmes/Wellness and Culture”
and “Vocational Education Consultancy”.
Mr. Patrick
Wong (Executive General Manager, Operations Support, HAECO, HK) briefed HAECO
Trainee Programme. One of main features
named C-Fu concept that using small class on-the-job training. For example, Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic
Trainee (Registered Apprentice Scheme) – part-time Higher Diploma or part-time
Diploma in Vocational Education (DVE) course for 2-3 years. For maintenance mechanic trainee programmes,
it needed 2.5-month of classroom training, 2.5-month of workshop practical
training and 7-month of on-the-job training (Airframe Services).
Mr.
Carl-Fredik Zachrisson (Managing Director, Scania (HK) Limited) introduced
their Apprenticeship Program for commercial vehicle training equipment from 15
months to 4 years.
Mr. Kevin
O’Brien (Chief Executive, The Jardine Engineering Corporation Limited, HK)
briefed the practical challenges as follows:
i)
Tradeoff of Efficiency
ii)
Aging Population
iii)
More Educated Population
iv)
Costly Training Facilities
v)
Inadequate Adoption of Latest
Industry Technology
However, he
also mentioned opportunities below:
i)
Age of Digital Transformation
(youth are “tech ready”)
ii)
Solid Hands-on Experience
Backed Up by Theoretical Knowledge
He concluded
that future proofing the “Trades” that not for “Trade + Tech” but “Trade Ready
Tech” and “Theory + Experience + Technology” for JEC workplace training.
The second
Thematic Session was “Skills Change Lives – Fostering Talent at Young
Age”. Mr. Jeff Streeter (Director, The
British Council, HK) was convenor and panel members included Ms. Grace Shu (VP,
Education, Corporate Social Responsibility, IBM Corporationi, USA), Ms. Low
Khah Gek (CEO, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore), Mr. David Hoey
(CEO, WorldSkills International), Mr. John Morrison (Principal, Lincoin
University Technical College, UK) and Mr. Jerry Kwok (Principal, Youth College
(International) VTC, HK).
In the
beginning, Mr. Jeff Streeter (Director, The British Council, HK) showed the
OECD future education video to us.
Ms. Grace Shu
(VP, Education, Corporate Social Responsibility, IBM Corporationi, USA) shared
her views on digital education.
Ms. Low Khah
Gek (CEO, Institute of Technical Education, Singapore) discussed the impact of
COVID-19 on Education and Training. Post-Covid-19 cause online learning
increasing, virtual meetings more popular, Analytics and AI to customer
learning but blurring lines of FT & PT students learning, as well as,
growing teachers’ competencies.
Mr. John
Morrison (Principal, Lincoin University Technical College, UK) introduced their
training program using game.
Mr. David
Hoey (CEO, WorldSkills International) showed the video named “Skills Change
Lives”.
Mr. Jerry
Kwok (Principal, Youth College (International) VTC, HK) briefed their three
steps to Progressive Approach of Learning.
i)
Fundamental Skills &
Knowledge (Step 1)
ii)
Mini-projects covering Step 1, Project
Management and Problem-solving Skills
iii)
Authentic Industry-related
Project that integrating different Skills & Knowledge
The last Thematic
Session named “AI, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity…Are Digital Skills Enough for
Workplace?” and Mr. Tony Tai Chark-tong (Chairman, VTC, HK) was convenor. Panel member included Ms. Sophia Leung
(Managing Director, Head of Governance, Risk & Control for Cybersecurity
& Technology Controls and Firmwide Technology Control Manager, JP Morgan
Chase, HK), Mr. Thomas Leubner (Head of Global Learning and Education, Siemens,
Germany), Mr. Ron Tam (Co-founder, Co-founder, ClinicOne, HK) and Mr. Peter Liu
(Managing Director, Asianet Consultants Limited).
Mr. Thomas Leubner (Head of Global Learning and Education, Siemens, Germany) shared his topic “VPET – Are digital skills enough for the workplace”. Key skills identified in fields of “Fostering customer value creation”, “Applying digital technologies”, “Living entrepreneurship”, “Driving innovation and learning”, “Collaborating a new way” and “Business in a new age”.
Ms. Sophia
Leung (Managing Director, JP Morgan Chase, HK) briefed some analytic data about
technologist, annual technology budget, etc. for predicting future education
need.
Mr. Ron Tam
(Co-founder, Co-founder, ClinicOne, HK) was alumni of VTC and then he continued
study and got Computer Science degree in university. He shared his startup experience to us.
The last
session was Reflection Session named “Who’s Driving VPET 2020 and Beyond?” Dr.
Carrie Yau (Executive Director, VTC, HK) chaired this session. Mr. Robo Yeung
(R&D Engineer, ASM Technology HK Ltd.) and Ms. Pearl So Ka Yu (WorldSkills
Champions Trust – Representative for Asia, WorldSkills International) shared their
experience.
At the end, Dr.
Carrie Yau (Executive Director, VTC, HK) concluded we all led VPET for future
education in 2030.
Reference:
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