Challenge

In Southeast Asia, the emergence of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic community has led to a dynamic digital economy with unprecedented labor mobility and opportunity. However, youth often struggle to build a competitive resume because they lack the necessary skills to navigate a labor market that is increasingly defined by short-term, portfolio-based digital work.

The Accelerating Work Readiness and Achievement for Employment 2 (AWARE2) project, funded by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, prepares a future-ready workforce with the skills needed to succeed in the digital economy. The project works with technical vocational education and training secondary schools and technical colleges in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. 

Key Activities

AWARE2 engages with students, schools, and industries to collaborate through innovative programs and real work experience. Following are some key activities:

  • Training teachers in Work Ready Now! (WRN), an active learning approach to delivering effective work readiness skills
  • Training students in digital skills, such as e-mail etiquette, maintaining an online presence, animation, graphic design, and programming, through digital boot camps run by local ICT industry partners
  • Facilitating student participation in work-based learning opportunities with local businesses

Impact

  • In the first year, trained more than 90 teachers and 2,000 students, and engaged over 100 firms in work-based learning program.

Learn More

DURATION
2017–Present
FUNDED BY
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
PARTNERS

Department of Education in the Philippines, Ministry of Education in Indonesia, and the Ministry of Education in Thailand