Expert meeting on the Future of Work in Asia: Skills development strategies to promote employment-rich and equitable growth in the care economy
Hosted by the International Training Centre (ITC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the upcoming Expert Meeting on the Future of Work in Asia will take place from the 17th to the 19th of September in Turin, Italy, gathering experts from Asia and Pacific to discuss the impact of demographic change on employment and decent work risks of the care economy in the region. This South-South knowledge exchange event is funded by China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) with the support from ILO’s Partnership and Field Support Department and in line with the celebration of the 2018 United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
Demographic change has profound impacts on the world of work, brings about challenges, but also opens up new economic development opportunities, particularly in the care-giving service industry. Specifically, new employments are being created from the fast growing public and consumer expenditure related to population ageing and the specific needs of the population over 50 (e.g. mobility equipment, elder-friendly medicines, home-based care devices, and other services or goods). Along with the promotion of employment prospective for young job seekers, there is high risk of decent work deficit stemming from precarious employment relationship and gender stereotypes that need to be addressed. According to the data and projections from the United Nations, Asia will eventually become home to the largest number of older people in the world. A development strategy for an employment-rich and equitable growth of the care economy in Asia is thus increasingly imperative.
To address this urgent need, and under the umbrella of the established South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) collaboration framework with the ILO, the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) collaborates with ILO-ITC Turin to organise an expert meeting on Future of Work in Asia, aiming at strengthening the capacity of ILO constituents to mitigate risks and unlock opportunities in the wake of the large-scale labour market transformation processes in Asia. This event applies the SSTC modality, which gathers and facilitates knowledge and experience exchanges among public labour market research and social security research institutions from China, Europe and selected ASEAN countries. The outcome of this expert meeting is increased knowledge on skills development strategies to promote decent work in the care economy. Furthermore, this meeting reaffirms the commitment of the ILO in SSTC activities and contributes to the celebration of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation in 12th September 2018.
This event is supported by the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Facility of the Partnership and Field Support Department (PARDEV) of the ILO. SSTC is a partnership among equals which involves a learning process or exchange of expertise derived from effective initiatives for development that have been implemented in southern countries. SSTC is a significant modality of development cooperation and an important mean for the ILO and its constituents to achieve the Decent Work Agenda.
Download here the Compendium of articles on South-South Cooperation in promoting the growth of the ASEAN’s Care Economy (specially prepared for the meeting).
Please find more information about the meeting in the following links: