Vientiane, Lao PDR–May 28, 2025–The National Training Council Permanent Office (NTC-PO) recently convened a 3-day technical workshop,

bringing together 24 representatives from key line ministries and the business sector to jointly develop four Occupational Standards in support of the Work-Based Learning (WBL) Project under the ASEAN-Swiss TVET Initiative (ASTI).

Co-chaired by Mr. Tingkham Soulintha, Deputy Director General of the Department of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE), Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), and Mr. Phouxay Thepphavong, Secretary General of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), the workshop aimed to strengthen the legal framework and tools needed for effective WBL implementation.

Key focus areas included the development of manuals, national occupational standards, and vocational curricula. Priority was given to occupations in high-demand sectors such as Inventory Management, Customer Service, Machine Tools, and Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Repair. This collaborative effort marks a significant step toward enhancing workforce readiness in Laos.