Korea University of Technology and Education, ILO hold Asia-Pacific forum in Bangkok to share AI vocational training experience with Africa

Korea University of Technology and Education and the International Labour Organization are sharing South Korea's AI and digital vocational training experience with countries across the Asia-Pacific and Africa. The two organizations will also review the results of youth employment and digital and green skills development projects carried out in five Asian countries, and discuss the direction of cooperation from 2027 to 2030.

Korea University of Technology and Education, known as Koreatech, announced Wednesday that it is co-hosting the "2026 Korea-ILO Partnership Program (I-KORP) Asia-Pacific Forum" with the ILO at the Conrad Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, from Wednesday through Friday. About 100 participants are attending, including Koreatech President Yu Gil-sang, along with officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the ILO, and government and vocational training institutions across Asia and Africa.

The forum will review cooperation projects carried out by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the ILO from 2024 through this year in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia and Thailand. Building on achievements in youth employment, digital and green skills development, and social dialogue, participants will discuss the direction of the next phase of projects to address digital transformation and changes in the labor market.

On the opening day, Koreatech will present case studies on customized education for vocational training instructors and the operation of STEP, a free online vocational training platform. STEP offers more than 4,500 pieces of online training content covering AI, emerging digital technologies, advanced industries and the humanities at no cost. The Korea Institute for Qualification Development will also introduce its approach to quality management for remote and virtual training content using AI.

Officials from African countries including Ghana and Tanzania will share their respective technical and vocational education and training (TVET) policies and cooperation needs. Koreatech and the ILO will discuss ways to extend the vocational training cooperation experience accumulated in Asia to Africa. A joint master's program in TVET for the digital economy, co-developed by Koreatech and the ILO's International Training Centre, will also be introduced at the forum.

In his welcoming remarks, Koreatech President Yu said the importance of TVET "is greater than ever amid the sweeping changes brought by advances in artificial intelligence and digital technology and the green transition," adding that he hopes South Korea's experience in vocational training innovation will contribute to the development of TVET systems across Asia-Pacific and African nations.