Kuala lumpur: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has warned that ASEAN countries face a rapidly widening skills gap if they do not urgently reform their Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to meet future workforce demands.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, ACCA Asia Pacific director Pulkit Abrol stated that the region is at a critical turning point as industries increasingly adopt automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainability standards. Abrol emphasized that ACCA has identified three urgent challenges facing the workforce: de-skilling due to automation replacing routine tasks, re-skilling as job roles evolve within 2.5 to three years, and up-skilling to enhance expertise in digital, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) areas, as well as emerging technologies.
Abrol elaborated on the need to bring people together across the region for discussions on skills, jobs, and productivity. He stressed the importance of stronger partnerships and practical, continuous upskilling, especially in areas such as digital literacy, data analytics, and ESG reporting, to ensure today's workforce remains competitive and prepared for the future. His remarks were made during his presentation of "The 2026 Blueprint: Transforming TVET into a Catalyst for Economic Growth" at the ACCA Public Sector Forum: TVET 2026.
ACCA's Global Talent Trends 2025 highlighted that demand for digital and sustainability-related roles now exceeds supply, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. Abrol noted that 57 percent of Gen Z and 53 percent of Gen Y individuals aspire to become entrepreneurs, with accountancy serving as a gateway for developing entrepreneurial and digital skills. Survey data from ACCA revealed that 50 percent of respondents are concerned about not developing the skills needed for the future, with concerns highest at 55 percent among junior and entry-level employees.
Abrol identified the most at-risk skills by 2030 as data analytics, cybersecurity, digital literacy, and ESG reporting. To address this, ACCA has outlined four priority reforms to future-proof the region: building capacity in sustainability reporting through specialized training and assurance capabilities, enhancing digital skills by integrating AI, data analytics, and cybersecurity into national standards, expanding continuous upskilling through public-private partnerships, and promoting stronger corporate governance and transparency, particularly in sustainability disclosures.
According to Abrol, ACCA also proposed wider ASEAN cooperation through establishing centers of excellence in selected polytechnics, cross-country knowledge exchange, exchange visits between TVET institutions, and joint research collaborations on future labor-market demands. At the event, two memorandum of understandings (MoUs) were signed to deepen ACCA's TVET partnerships in Vietnam, with Ho Chi Minh City's College of Foreign Economic Relations (COFER) and Hanoi College of Industrial Economics (HIEC).
The MoU with COFER will expand access to the Foundation in Accounting qualification for all students, building on the program introduced in 2024, while ACCA renewed its 2023 partnership with HIEC will enhance teaching quality and support lecturers and students in pursuing international qualifications. The ACCA Public Sector Forum: TVET 2026 is a one-day forum examining how TVET can play a pivotal role in equipping Malaysia's public sector with future-ready skills aligned with national digitalization and sustainability priorities.
The forum also highlighted a growing global trend towards skills-based hiring, with employers placing less emphasis on traditional qualifications and focusing instead on demonstrable capabilities, a shift expected to reshape recruitment across ASEAN.