KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASEAN TVET Conference (ASEAN TVET), a flagship platform under the ASEAN Year of Skills (AYOS) 2025, opened today with a united call for the region to prepare its workforce for advanced digitalisation and the green transition, paving the way for a future-ready TVET ecosystem.
Jointly organised by the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) and Skills Development Fund Corporation Malaysia (PTPK), both under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), the conference gathered about 1,500 policymakers, industry leaders, TVET providers and educators at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.
Over two days, the event will drive collaboration on advancing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a catalyst for inclusive digital and green transitions. 57 exhibitors showcased innovations, training solutions and technologies that support these skills.
Officiating the event, The Right Honourable Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Minister of Rural and Regional Development, and Chairman of National TVET Council, called for ASEAN to address rising demand for digital and green talent.
"This conference must spark policies that meet market needs, make employers true partners and fast-track cutting-edge learning. This is how ASEAN will shape a workforce that is inclusive, future-ready and poised to lead the global TVET industry," he said.
He proposed establishing an ASEAN Green and Digital Skills Taskforce to unite the region in concrete actions and measurable targets.
The Honourable Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Human Resources, stressed ASEAN's opportunity to lead in the digital and green economy through collaboration and inclusive skills development.
"In an age when AI can do the thinking, the world still needs those who can build, repair, operate, supervise and organise. These elements will outlast the hype cycles of technology. Skills training is the currency of the day," he said, calling for greater synergy in a common certification framework and mutual recognition to advance the ASEAN skills market.
Joining virtually, His Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, urged stronger partnerships between training institutions and industry to accelerate green skills development.
"Our efforts must ensure we lead, not follow, in the global green economy," he said, warning that without decisive action, skills gaps could slow economic progress.
The conference, themed 'Advancing Digital and Green Transformations through an Inclusive and Future-Ready TVET System', examined integrating sustainability into skills, and training, for a just transition.
Representing International Labour Organization (ILO), Kaori Nakamura-Osaka, Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said, "TVET holds unique potential to drive the digital and green transformation. Skills training must be aligned to these transitions, with emerging technologies embedded into learning. No one can be left behind."
Upcoming AYOS events include the National Human Capital Conference & Exhibition (NHCCE), Global Skills Forum (GSF) and the ASEAN Forum of Manpower Ministers for Human Capital Development (AFMM-HCD), continuing Malaysia's push for bold collaborations, stronger industry engagement and embedding environmental sustainability into skills systems.
For more information, visit www.aseanyearofskills.org.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
MALAYSIA, THROUGH ASEAN TVET CONFERENCE, HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR DIGITAL AND GREEN SKILLS AMID REGIONAL TRANSFORMATION
HANOI, Vietnam, Jan. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Viettel Group has officially broken ground on the construction of Vietnam's first semiconductor chip fabrication plant. The project is implemented by Viettel as a mission assigned by the Ministry of National Defense, in accordance with a Government Resolution.
For the first time, Vietnam is developing domestic chip fabrication capability, laying a foundation for the goal of gradually mastering core technologies and developing a domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
The plant will be built in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park (Hanoi) on an area of 27 hectares, oriented to become national infrastructure serving research, design, testing, and semiconductor chip production.
Once operational, the plant will be able to serve national industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, IoT, automotive manufacturing, medical devices, and automation, among others.
A complete semiconductor chip product typically goes through six main stages: product definition, system design, detailed design, chip fabrication, packaging and testing, and integration and testing. In recent years, Vietnam has gradually participated in five of these stages; however, chip fabrication—the most complex and critical stage—has not yet been possible domestically. Building a semiconductor chip fabrication plant will help complete and close the entire semiconductor chip production process in Vietnam.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh emphasized: "The groundbreaking of Vietnam's first high-tech semiconductor chip fabrication plant is an event of particularly important significance. This is a step toward realizing the national semiconductor industry development strategy, creating a foundation for Vietnam to gradually participate more deeply in the global value chain, based on science, technology, and innovation."
According to the Prime Minister, the plant's presence will contribute to completing the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, enabling chip design companies, technology start-ups, and research institutions to shorten testing cycles, quickly finalize products, and bring technology into practical applications.
The plant is also expected to become a hands-on training center for the semiconductor workforce, linking training with a real production environment. Through this, Vietnam aims to train 50,000 chip design engineers under the Semiconductor Industry Human Resources Development Program through 2030, toward a scale of more than 100,000 people in Vietnam's semiconductor industry under the National Semiconductor Strategy through 2040.
For Viettel, being assigned to lead the implementation of the semiconductor chip fabrication plant continues the Group's core technology development strategy, which it has persistently pursued for many years. Viettel has proactively prepared human resources through in-depth training, international cooperation, and technology transfer, while also accumulating experience from research, design, and the application of chips in technology systems and products.
Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group, affirmed: "Immediately after today's groundbreaking ceremony, the Group will begin implementing the project, with the set objective that by the end of 2027 we will complete the construction, receive technology transfer, and begin pilot production. The period from 2028 to 2030 will focus on finalizing and optimizing processes and improving line efficiency in accordance with industry standards, thereby serving as a basis for researching chip fabrication technology at more advanced process nodes."
The project will be implemented during 2026–2030, with a roadmap from plant construction and technology transfer to process completion and improved operational efficiency. In the long term, the Hoa Lac plant is planned to be expandable in scale, providing a foundation for Vietnam to gradually access more advanced semiconductor technologies.
The groundbreaking of the high-tech semiconductor chip fabrication plant marks an important milestone in Vietnam's journey to build technological capability, contributing to realizing the goal of "Technological self-reliance, Sustainable Future."
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Viettel Breaks Ground on Vietnam's First Semiconductor Chip Fabrication Plant
