ASEAN Must Accelerate TVET Transformation As Digital, Sustainability, Skills Gaps Widen - ACCA
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has warned that ASEAN countries face a rapidly widening skills gap if they do not urgently reform their Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to meet future workforce demands.
ACCA Asia Pacific director Pulkit Abrol said the region is at a critical turning point as industries increasingly adopt automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability standards.
He also said that ACCA has identified three urgent challenges facing the workforce, namely de-skilling due to automation replacing routine tasks, re-skilling as job roles evolve within 2.5 to three years and up-skilling to strengthen expertise in digital, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas, as well as emerging technologies.
"What we are trying to do is bring people together across the region so we can have the right conversations about skills, jobs and productivity.
"This requires stronger partnerships and practical, continuous upskilling, especially in areas such as digital literacy, data analytics and ESG reporting to ensure today’s workforce remains competitive and future-ready," he said as part of his presentation of "The 2026 Blueprint: Transforming TVET into a Catalyst for Economic Growth" at the ACCA Public Sector Forum: TVET 2026, held here today.
Abrol said ACCA's Global Talent Trends 2025 highlighted that demand for digital and sustainability-related roles now exceeds supply, especially among Gen Z and millennials.
He said 57 per cent of Gen Z and 53 per cent of Gen Y individuals aspire to become entrepreneurs, adding that accountancy continues to serve as a strong gateway for developing entrepreneurial and digital skills.
He noted survey data presented by ACCA also showed that 50 per cent of respondents are concerned they are not developing the skills they need for the future, while concerns are highest at 55 per cent among junior and entry-level employees.
As the most at-risk skills by 2030 include data analytics, cybersecurity, digital literacy and ESG reporting, Abrol said ACCA has outlined four priority reforms to future-proof the region, namely building capacity in sustainability reporting through specialised training and assurance capabilities, and enhancing digital skills by integrating AI, data analytics and cybersecurity into national standards.
Other reforms include expanding continuous upskilling through public–private partnerships focused on critical new competencies, as well as promoting stronger corporate governance and transparency, particularly in sustainability disclosures, he added.
According to Abrol, ACCA also proposed wider ASEAN cooperation through the establishment of centres of excellence in selected polytechnics, cross-country knowledge exchange, exchange visits between TVET institutions and joint research collaborations on future labour-market demands.
At the event, two memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed to deepen ACCA’s TVET partnerships in Vietnam, namely with Ho Chi Minh City’s College of Foreign Economic Relations (COFER) and Hanoi College of Industrial Economics (HIEC).
The MoU with COFER will expand access to the Foundation in Accounting qualification for all students, building on the programme introduced in 2024, while ACCA renewed its 2023 partnership with HIEC will enhance teaching quality and support lecturers and students in pursuing international qualifications.
The ACCA Public Sector Forum: TVET 2026 is a one-day forum examining how TVET can play a pivotal role in equipping Malaysia's public sector with future-ready skills aligned with national digitalisation and sustainability priorities.
The forum also highlighted a growing global trend towards skills-based hiring, with employers placing less emphasis on traditional qualifications and focusing instead on demonstrable capabilities, a shift expected to reshape recruitment across ASEAN.
-- BERNAMA
