Reskilling the Public-sector Workforce for Enhanced Public Services

Reskilling the public-sector workforce is essential for effective public service delivery, especially with the rapid adoption of digital technologies revealing significant skill gaps. It is crucial to address these gaps to maintain efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance public-service quality. To achieve the APO Vision 2025, a focus on integrating new technologies and developing the skills of public-sector personnel is needed.

A workshop on Reskilling the Public-sector Workforce was organized by the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia and the APO Secretariat in Jakarta from 17-20 September to assist public-sector workforces of the APO members in identifying skill gaps and strategies for reskilling and upskilling. Twenty-five participants from 15 APO members completed the workshop, led by four resource persons, one each from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Participants were familiarized with socioeconomic trends, digital technologies, and new expectations from citizens after the COVID-19 pandemic. They were also assisted by the resource persons to identify the common gaps of technical and soft skills of public-sector employees in their countries. The workshop highlighted the importance of leadership and the mindset of continuous learning, which is especially important when public-sector organizations undertake initiatives for digital transformation. Through examples and practices from Australia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore, participants learned practical strategies to upskill public-sector workforces and facilitate policies to enhance the quality of public services.