Future of Work Consultancy for ASEAN

Challenge

The ASEAN Secretariat commissioned Verian to conduct a research study to support ASEAN member states with meeting both current and future needs towards post-COVID-19 recovery and inclusiveness of labour markets. This is particularly in light of key trends and challenges, such as technological and AI progress, demographic shifts and climate change, amongst others. This study aims to inform policies and best practices to boost the productivity and inclusivity of ASEAN’s labour market, particularly focusing on persons with disabilities, women and outsourced workers.

This is done by first identifying the current and future barriers to income and training opportunities for these groups before exploring the areas of opportunity for their meaningful inclusion at various levels (e.g. regional, national, corporate etc). 

Approach and Outputs

The approach comprised of extensive regional literature review and of interviews with experts and practitioners to deeper on-the-ground insights.

Outputs of this study include:

Flagship reports – overview of current employment landscape, drivers and barriers, opportunities and challenges relating to key megatrends in the world of work: 

• Report 1: Removing barriers for the participation of persons with disabilities in the world of work
• Report 2: Promoting inclusive HRD strategies to sustain productivity, focusing on women and outsourced workers

Policy briefs – actionable recommendations, strategies and best practices (case studies) to overcome barriers and seize opportunities presented by the megatrends:

• Each report was accompanied by two policy briefs

Online policy forum – knowledge exchange amongst cross-sector stakeholders to inspire action and foster collaboration:

• Attendance by ASEAN member states and regional public, private and third sector stakeholders
• Panel discussions with experts and implementers of case studies in the policy briefs

Impact

The two-day online forum provided a crucial platform for policymakers and practitioners to convene to discuss and tackle key challenges and strategies required for a resilient and adaptable ASEAN workforce.

The reports and briefs incorporated findings from the forum, and will be published by ASEAN as part of their efforts to address emerging challenges faced by the region and develop the ASEAN Community Vision Post 2025.