Education Leaders at World Congress Tackle Future Skills Challenges

Shyamal Majumdar, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC, during his keynote speech

From 8-10 October 2018, the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) held its bi-annual World Congress in Melbourne, Australia. The World Congress is the hallmark of the WFCP and gathers educators, policy makers, and leaders in education to share the latest trends and best practices, and network with their peers in the professional and technical education and training sector.

Hosted by TAFE Directors Australia, a UNEVOC Centre, the World Congress brought together over 800 delegates from community colleges and polytechnics around the world as well as international education experts.

Under this year’s theme, “Preparing for the Skills Future, Now”, participants discussed the new challenges arising from advances in technologies and automation and the subsequent impact on work, societies, and people. The World Congress focused on action-based solutions to these challenges and provided an opportunity for delegates to examine their own TVET systems and compare their readiness to that of other countries.

Mr. Shyamal Majumdar, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC, gave a keynote speech on “The importance of skilling in the Sustainable Development Goals”, highlighting the role of skills in the successful implementation of the SDGs. He emphasized that the implication of Industry 4.0 not only relates to the manufacturing sector but also has serious implications in agricultural and service sectors, including formal and informal employment.

During the closing session, WFCP announced that the 2020 World Congress will be held in Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain, under the theme “VET Excellence – For All” from October 14-16, 2020. The event will be hosted by Tknika (Spain), a UNEVOC Centre, and the Association of Colleges (UK).