Introduction

Southeast Asia faces critical challenges due to its rapid urbanisation and growing infrastructure demands, placing itself at a pivotal juncture in its development trajectory. While the region witnesses significant increase in construction and infrastructure projects, the pressing need to align these developments with the effort to promote environment sustainability, digitisation, and workforce skills development stands a major challenge.

According to Southeast Asia’s Green Economy Report 2023, investing US$2 trillion over the next decade in sustainable infrastructure is essential for reducing the region’s carbon footprint and enhancing its resilience against climate change impacts. The need for increase digitisation in the sector, including adopting smart construction technologies, poses a challenge in enhancing the sector’s productivity and attracting young, skilled professionals.

Recognising these needs and building on the experiences and network obtained through the long-standing ILO and Korea partnerships on promoting skills development and recognition in ASEAN region, the proposed project “Advancing Digital and Green Skills for Youth in ASEAN,” addresses these challenges by focusing on the development of digital and green skills among the youth, a necessity for the region’s sustainable and inclusive development.

The project is a regional development cooperation initiative supported by the ILO/Korea Partnership Programme. It is strategically positioned to respond to the demands of ILO constituents in Southeast Asia, with a focus on Thailand and the Philippines, in line with Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF).

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This project will target the construction sector in the Philippines and Thailand and will focus on developing industry-led and regionally developed digital and green skills programmes while enhancing apprenticeship programmes to support young people’s access to labour markets and providing upskilling for existing workers with additional digital and green skills to improve their employability at the national level.

The need for increased digitisation in the sector, including adopting smart construction technologies, poses a challenge in enhancing the sector’s productivity and attracting young, skilled professionals. Solutions to tackle these challenges will require effective interventions and strengthened capacities to promote digitalisation and enhance youth employment through the development of digital and green skills training programmes.

As the United Nations agency for the world of work, the ILO brings together governments, employers, and workers to drive a human-centered approach to the future of work.

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Reporting lines

The project will be managed by the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), in coordination with ILO Country Office for the Philippines (CO-Manila). The National Project Coordinator will be based in Manila, the Philippines.

The National Project Coordinator will work under the supervision of the Director of ILO Country Office for the Philippines.

The National Project Coordinator will work directly with the Chief Technical Adviser and the programme officer of the ILO/Korea Partnership Programme and will receive technical guidance and support from the Senior Skills and Employability Specialist in the Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific (DWT-Bangkok) and relevant technical specialists in the Skills Branch (SKILLS) at HQ.

Description of Duties

The National Project Coordinator will be primarily responsible for the development, implementation, and monitoring of ILO interventions under this project in the Philippines, in coordination with ILO constituents and other relevant stakeholders. The incumbent will also assist facilitating the regional-level activities planned in the project in close collaboration with the ASEAN Constructors Federation (ACF) under the Philippine Chair. S/he will also contribute to the project’s capacity building and knowledge development efforts focused on Southeast Asia.

S/he will also be responsible for the following duties:

1. Review and analyse country specific development plans and priorities, data, reports and other relevant information. Provide inputs for developing country operations plans for overall compliance with regional and global strategic priorities as well as with programming instructions. Conduct basic research and analysis and draft components of reports and presentations for situation analyses at the national level.

2. Ensure timely project delivery and effective management including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project’s workplans and activities in accordance with the policies, programme strategies, programme guidelines, administrative and financial procedures of the ILO and country/action programmes.

3. Support the mobilization of additional resources for implementation of the project’s activities, including preparation for periodical meeting with funding partners.

4. Coordinate with the Project Steering Committee, or equivalent, in the Philippines and assist in the preparation for meetings, the selection of interventions, project partners and implementing agencies.

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5. Facilitate partnerships with the ACF under the Philippine Chair and assist the implementation of the project’s regional level activities in close coordination with the ILO Regional Office.

6. Participate in the organisation and facilitation of conferences, workshops, seminars, training sessions, consultative meetings and webinars and other relevant activities, in close collaboration with Technical Specialists, Project Technical Officer and main project partners and beneficiaries.

7. Prepare periodic and ad-hoc progress notes on the status of the project’s implementation and coordinate with concerned tripartite and other partners in the country and relevant UN agencies to ensure strong sustainability of the outputs. Facilitate synergies between the project and the Global Accelerator Programme in the Philippines.

8. Prepare briefs, periodical reports and statistical data and contribute to the production of training and advocacy material in English and Tagalog.

9. Develop terms of reference and provide technical supervision to external collaborators and resource persons, while monitoring their activities and deliverables for quality and timeliness.

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10. Translate into Tagalog and/or English, as appropriate, and/or edit translation of technical material, new releases, official correspondence, statements, speeches, and other documents.

11. Administer resources from all sources of funds, prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts by analysing and monitoring situation of resources as compared to planned activities and making recommendations for remedial action.

12. Contribute to the development or adjustment of training programmes and materials, particularly by providing information and recommendations on the local context and challenges. Promote ILO principles and standards during this development.

Required qualifications

Education

University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in a field relevant to the job. A Master’s degree would be an advantage.

Experience

Minimum of two years of relevant professional work experience at national level preferably in programme and/or project planning, monitoring, implementation, evaluation activities and topics related to skills development, TVET, youth employment, business development and international labour standards.

Work experience collaborating with the Governments, Workers’ and Employers’ organisation, civil society, UN Agencies and other stakeholders will be advantage.

Languages

Excellent command of English and the official national language of the duty station

Competencies

• Good knowledge of policies and guidelines regarding labour issues.
• Knowledge of programme and budget, project administrative, project formulation, and evaluation techniques and practices.
• Experience with the formulation and implementation of projects and ability to interpret project information.
• Excellent drafting skills, excellent analytical, writing and communication skills with the ability to conceptualize in English and Tagalog.
• Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to supervise staff and guide national counterparts.

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• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
• Ability to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.