​A Regional Training Programme on TVET Industry 4.0 - Leaders Training Workshop, organised by SEAMEO VOCTECH (SV) Regional Centre, in collaboration with TEMASEK Foundation, and ITE Education Services, Singapore, convened with an Opening Ceremony held at ITEES Singapore, via online mode, on 7 September 2021.

This is the third round of collaboration amongst the three organisations, which runs from 2021-2023. In this round is the conduct of a one-off training programme that expands beneficiaries not only for teachers but also for the school leaders and managers. This round also offers the Technical Skills Upgrading Programme (TSUP) for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Specialists in Industry 4.0, with the following topics: (1) Robotics and Smart Systems; (2) Food Processing and Technology; and (3) Hotel management with Industry 4.0.

The first two rounds of TSUP have been successfully conducted, from 2013-2015, and 2017-2019, respectively, with as many as 1465 TVET teachers/instructors/trainers in Southeast Asia, including Brunei Darussalam, that have benefitted from the programme.

Centre Director of SEAMEO VOCTECH, Mr. Alias Haji Abu Bakar, in his speech at the opening ceremony, recognised that the training and workshop for TVET school leaders had taken place at a perfect time, considering the advent of IR 4.0 – where there is an undeniable need for leaders to be proactive and readily equipped with appropriate leadership skills so as to inspire as well as lead their respective workforces to embrace corresponding changes.

He further added that for this training programme, the Centre was able to successfully gather 59 TVET leaders-participants coming from the 9 of the 11 SEAMEO Member-countries and the breakdown of these participants are: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia and Indonesia, each with 10 participants; Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand, each with 5 participants; Philippines, with 7 participants; and Vietnam, with 2 participants.

He then concluded his speech by expressing his hopes that the training programme would have had a significant impact upon the pedagogical and technical skills of all participants, in which he believed would strengthen as well as improve the vocational and technical education in the region.

Also present during the opening ceremony held via online mode were Mr. Bruce Poh, Chief Executive Officer, ITEES, Mr. Gerald Yeo, Senior Director, TEMASEK Foundation, Dr. Ang Kiam Wee, Deputy CEO (Academic & Facilities), Chairman and CEO's Office of ITE Singapore, and SEAMEO VOCTECH Governing Board Member, as well as representatives from TF and ITEES, Singapore, and SV Management and Staff.