Scholars, experts and researchers from all over the world gathered at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) on 26th August, 2015 to attend a symposium on The Inclusion of Green Competencies in the Recognition of Prior Learning: A Comparative Study of Seven Countries in the Asia and Pacific Region.

 

The two-day symposium, hosted by the UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong) at EdUHK and in conjunction with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), addressed a particular aspect of the green skills agenda – its inclusion in the mechanisms of Recognition of Prior Learning. High-ranking delegates participated in the symposium to share the results from and experiences of their own studies, which have examined skills recognition in four industries: catering, automotive, waste management and PVC production. Cross-country discussions of the results of the country studies followed.

 

Delivering her welcome speech, Dr Margarita Pavlova, Associate Professor at the Department of International Education and Lifelong Learning (IELL) and Director of the UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong) at EdUHK, welcomed the opportunity to host the Symposium, stating that “collaboration between countries is essential for the green restructuring of economies, and for ensuring that Asia and the Pacific region are transforming towards a sustainable future.”

 

Over the past year, Bangladesh, China, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, the Philippines, and the Hong Kong SAR have pooled their efforts to examine the ways in which government policies, industry practices and educational approaches could work together to achieve the greening of economies. Dr Pavlova noted that “this Symposium is a regional platform for sharing current practices and developing guidelines that can inform government policies in the region on green skills recognition through mechanisms such as Recognition of Prior Learning”.

 

Addressing the first day of the Symposium were keynote speakers Ms Jackie Hau from the HK Qualifications Framework Secretariat, who discussed the Recognition of Prior Learning under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (QF) and its applications in industry, this was then followed by Mr Robert Fearnside, Acting Executive Director of the Hong Kong Council for the Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ), on the Council’s role in the accreditation of assessment agencies for the recognition of prior learning, and finally Mr Zhanbol Zhilbayev, President of the National Academy of Education, Kazakhstan, on the value of “green skills” in the development of an ecological culture among students.

 

The greening of skills is one of the focus areas for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the Post-2015 Global UNESCO agenda. Three years ago, the Third International Congress on TVET in Shanghai produced a roadmap for the transformation of TVET so that it contributed to sustainable development. Since then, various aspects of green skills development have been addressed by many forums and conferences around the world. Green skills are one of the research topics of the UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong), and have become a UNESCO hub on green skills research in the region.

 

The Symposium is an important part of the Post 2015 Agenda “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” of the United Nations in coming September, which envisages a world in which every country enjoys sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all, in which consumption patterns and the use of all natural resources are sustainable, and in which social development is achieved alongside environmental protection and climate-sensitive application of technology. 

 

International Symposium by UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong) and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

 

Scholars, experts and researchers from seven countries gathered at EdUHK 

 

• Catering
• Automotive
• Plastic manufacturing
• Waste management

• Islamic University of Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics, China,
• National Skill Development Corporation, India, 
• National Academy of Education, Kazakhstan, 
• Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training, Nepal, 
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippines.

Margarita Pavlova and Madhu Singh working on project methodology during Global Skills Forum

 

The data provided by this study will allow educators and key stakeholders, including governments, to improve existing practices for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is a mechanism under the Qualifications Framework (QF) that enables people to receive recognition of their knowledge, skills, and experience. The project is particularly important as no previous research has been conducted in the area of RPL on green skills in the region. The project is funded by all participating institutions.