The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Republic of Korea have launched a joint project to equip Filipino youth with digital and green skills in the construction sector through industry-driven training programs.

The project is titled “Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN.”

In her keynote address, DOLE Undersecretary Carmela Torres of the Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster stressed the need to promote youth employability through enterprise-based education and training.

Torres cited ILO Recommendation 208 on Quality Apprenticeships to guide the development of inclusive, fair, and effective apprenticeship systems worldwide.

She also highlighted the green transition as a crucial pathway to meaningful employment for young Filipinos, projecting an estimated 8.4 million jobs for youth by 2030 globally.

“To seize these opportunities, the Philippines must align its workforce development strategies with emerging economic trends,” she continued.

“By investing in targeted training programs, particularly for youth, the country can position itself to capitalize on the green and digital economies’ growth potential while fostering broader economic and labor market transformation,” she added.

Key activities under the project include the development of regionally aligned and recognized digital and green skills training programs for the construction sector; a training-of-trainers for construction educators across ASEAN; rollout of the digital and green skills training for Filipino youth; and implementation of enhanced enterprise-based training and apprenticeship programs.

ILO Country Director for the Philippines Khalid Hassan lauded Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma’s leadership, which enabled the Philippines to be recognized as a pathfinder country under the UN’s Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions.

Hassan noted that the ILO–Republic of Korea project supports the initiative’s goals, especially in the construction and transport sectors.

ILO Senior Specialist in Skills and Employability Akiko Sakamoto, meanwhile, underscored the project’s relevance in addressing pressing challenges such as rapid urbanization, rising infrastructure demands, new regulations on environmental sustainability and digitalization, and the declining share of youth workers in the construction sector.

“This initiative reflects our shared commitment to sustainable development and youth empowerment,” Shin Hochul, Chief Technical Advisor of the ILO-Korea project, said.

“By leveraging Korea’s experience and innovation in skills development, we aim to support ASEAN countries in building a future-ready workforce for a more sustainable construction sector,” Hochul added.

Initial findings from a study on digital and green skills in the Philippine construction sector were validated during a workshop and will be reviewed to finalize ASEAN-wide standards and training programs for rollout in 2026.