Discussion on RECOTVET’s role in Vocational Education and Training Development
On 10 August, 2016, Dr. Nils Geissler, Programme Director of Regional Cooperation in TVET (RECOTVET) implemented by GIZ, visited Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) to introduce himself and discuss the possibilities for future cooperation. Dr. Geissler and Ms. Siriporn Parvikam were warmly welcomed by Mr. Wanit Uamsri Deputy Secretary General, Mrs. Puttachard Suphalucksana Director Center for International Vocational Education Cooperation and Dr. Athippatai Potang Senior Professional Human Resource Officer.
Dr. Nils Geissler gave a brief overview on the current programme implementation, the introduction of the 2nd phase of RECOTVET which will commence in 2017 and the possible cooperation with OVEC in the future. The objective of the programme is to support and create personnel, institutional and thematic preconditions for quality improvement and regional harmonization of the education and training of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) personnel in Southeast Asia. He stressed that the active participation and contribution of OVEC in RECOTVET’s programme activities are highly appreciated, especially in Working Group I – Regional Teacher Standard Development and Working Group III – Regional sharing on best practices. The results of RECOTVET implementation so far can be summarized in the following key points i) the success of three regional policy dialogues with ASEAN and the OECD in the host countries Vietnam, Cambodia and last year with OVEC, Thailand ii) the establishment of three thematic working groups on development of regional core standard for teacher, development of the policy recommendation for a quality assurance system for TVET and identification and sharing of regional and national good practices for TVET personnel qualification iii) 67 multipliers from CLMV countries and Indonesia trained with the aim to foster change at the organizational level and systematic level and iv) four research projects selected covering topics of research and implementation of PPP between universities, government and private companies on TVET, development of regional core standards for TVET personnel, approaches to secure implementation of inclusion in TVET systems in the region.
The Deputy Secretary General cherished the continuous good cooperation with GIZ as well as the results from RECOTVET programme. Since OVEC has received the feasibility study from Education Council on the TVET Teacher Standard in Thailand which it intends to set up, he supported the setting up of the Regional TVET Teacher Standard that all ASEAN countries should practice in the same fashion. He also emphasized that OVEC wishes to be the TVET Hub for the region, in which the Center of International Vocational Education (CIVEC) has been established in order to support the exchange of knowledge and strengthen qualification of vocational teachers and students with other countries in the region. Therefore, the continuation of RECOTVET in Thailand will strengthen OVEC’s role as TVET Hub for the region.
The Deputy Secretary General explained that he has recently been invited to discuss the cooperation with Baden Württemberg State, Germany for twining vocational colleges in the field of Industry 4.0 which will start in November this year. He also added that he is very interested in the Multipliers Model for Vocational Teachers in Germany which could be applied at the Bureau for Personnel Competency Development of OVEC.
Siriporn Parvikam
Email:siriporn.parvikam@giz.de