The first BILT online workshop allowed UNEVOC Centres and TVET stakeholders from Asia and the Pacific region to learn more about BILT and explore opportunities for engagement with the project. A total of 36 participants representing 16 UNEVOC Centres in 13 countries attended the workshop, including two members of the European UNEVOC Network. The European Centres shared how they engaged with the project, emphasizing that BILT has provided their institutions with a valuable platform for international collaboration.

A short survey conducted during the workshop asked participants which BILT thematic areas are currently most relevant in the Asia and the Pacific context. 22 TVET stakeholders from Asia and the Pacific region responded to the survey.

The results highlighted the perceived relevance of four of the five thematic areas of BILT in the Asia and the Pacific region: New Qualifications and Competencies and TVET, Greening TVET, Entrepreneurship in TVET, and Digitalization in TVET. Comparatively, the respondents found the topic of Migration and TVET less relevant. The answers reflected the findings of UNESCO-UNEVOC’s Virtual Conference on New Qualifications and Competencies, which indicated that globally, TVET systems face similar, high-level demands related to Greening, Digitalization and Entrepreneurship. Participants recognized that the area of New Qualifications and Competencies is closely tied to the other thematic areas of BILT.

The online session was an opportunity for the BILT team to present the upcoming project events and discuss how UNEVOC Centres and other TVET stakeholders can engage with BILT in the future. Initial discussions on the BILT bridging line with Asia and the Pacific will continue during the ‘Europe - Asia and the Pacific Conference’ tentatively planned for the first quarter of 2021. The purpose of the Bridging Conference will be to facilitate the exchange of European and Asian implementation experiences and to collect innovative practices from UNEVOC Centres in Asia and the Pacific related to the BILT themes.