Industry representatives and education providers from ASEAN and the EU met in Penang, Malaysia, this month to discuss how apprenticeships and employer-linked training could help prepare students for changing workforce needs.
The “Closing the Gap Workshop 2026” was held from 12 to 14 May and was jointly organised by Malaysia’s Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE) and the EU–ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package – Higher Education (SCOPE-HE) programme, the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed on Tuesday.
Officials, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, businesses and regional organisations attended, with discussions focused on employability, industry-driven education and workforce readiness linked to the green and digital transitions. TVET refers to training designed to build practical skills for specific jobs.
The event was held under the ASEAN–EU Plan of Action 2023–2027, which includes cooperation on TVET and workforce readiness, according to the same update.
H.E. Sujiro Seam, the EU Ambassador to ASEAN, said the workshop supported commitments made in that plan and described TVET as part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, a framework for investments in areas including digital, transport, climate and energy, health, and education and research.
Dr Zamzam bin Mohd Walid, Director of the TVET Coordination Division at DPCCE, said Malaysia was strengthening its TVET system by combining technical skills with critical thinking, adaptability and lifelong learning, in line with the Malaysia Higher Education Blueprint 2026–2035.
Site visit to Bosch apprenticeship programme
Participants ended the workshop with a visit to Robert Bosch (M) Sdn Bhd in Penang, where they were shown the company’s apprenticeship and industry training approaches.
The Closing the Gap Workshop series was launched under SCOPE-HE to address employability challenges and strengthen links between TVET systems and industry across ASEAN.
SCOPE-HE is funded by the EU and approved by ASEAN, runs from February 2024 to January 2028, and has a budget of €9.3 million.
