Myanmar's skilled labour needs to catch up as the country integrates into the ASEAN Economic Community (Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security)

As Myanmar integrates into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), all member countries will have to allow free movement for skilled labourers within the bloc, and in order to promote skilled labour in Myanmar, skill assessment and certification programs for Myanmar workers are greatly needed, said U Aye Myint, minister for labour, employment and social security.

To promote skilled labour, 400 workers from various companies and factories have been awarded skill certifications in their related professions, the Ministry announced.

The National Skills Standard Authority (NSSA) said it will implement skills assessments for 14 new career paths and will build skills assessment centres around the country.

The NSSA is implementing the last of the three rounds of the “Fast Track Skills Assessments Pilot Project”.

NSSA didn’t say how much of the country’s budget will be used for the projects. German International Cooperation (GIZ) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have been helping to implement the projects.

“In order for Myanmar’s labour force to compete in the ASEAN labour market, we need collaboration from every sector. We have very limited resources to develop skilled labour in regions and states,” said U Aye Myint.

“Not only we need support from international organisations but also we need support from the government. There should be vocational training schools in every industrial zone. The government should give land to build these training centres,” U Myat Thin Aung, chairman of HlaingTharyar industrial zone, told Myanmar Business Today.

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