The Tech For Good Institute (TFGI) brought together voices from across Southeast Asia (SEA) for the final roundtable in its New Models of Work series. Focused on Workforce Investment, the discussion acknowledged that SEA stands at a crossroads, where today’s choices will shape whether technology becomes a driver of inclusive prosperity or exacerbates existing inequalities.

The conversation highlighted the challenge of technological change outpacing the workforce’s ability to adapt. Roundtable participants noted that training completed just a few months ago can already feel outdated, raising essential questions about access: who benefits from the AI revolution, who might be left behind, and who is involved in guiding this transition.

The discussion also highlighted a key tension between the region’s digital progress and the limited opportunities many workers have to engage with that transformation. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can analyse patterns, it cannot replace human intuition, empathy, or values, especially in areas like teamwork, leadership, and building trust. This presents both an opportunity and a risk: with thoughtful planning, SEA could leverage technology for inclusive growth, but without it, existing inequalities may widen in societies already facing disparities.

Participants:

• Mohd Redzuan Affandi Bin Abdul Rahim, Director for SME Digitalisation, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC)
• Shahfiran Salim, Assistant Director, Workforce Singapore (WSG)
• Ilan Asqolani, Head of Programme, ASEAN Foundation
• Romora Edward Sitorus, Chief Economist, Kartu Prakerja Programme, Indonesia
• Camelia Loh, Committee member of PIKOM Talent Gap Interest Group, PIKOM, Malaysia
• Francesca Chia, Co-Founder and Chief Community Manager, GoGet, Malaysia
• Hui Yi Lim, Director of Digital Transformation, Access Partnership
• Nguyen Quang Dong, Director, Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS), Vietnam
• Poon King Wang, Director of LKYCIC, Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD)
• Nelia Hyndman-Rizk, Senior Lecturer, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Canberra, Australia
• Aries Setiadi, Researcher, Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS)
• Pranpreya Sriwannawit Lundberg, Director of International Policy Partnership, Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), Thailand
• Doungkamon Phihusut, Policy Developer, Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO)
• Nopphasin Camapaso, Researcher, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI)

Scene-setters and Moderators

• Arnil Paras, Ph.D. Executive Director, Insights & Academy, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
• Gopika Mahapatra, Senior Associate, Knowledge & Insights, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)
• Citra Handayani Nasruddin, Programme Director, Tech For Good Institute (TFGI)
• Basilio Claudio, Programme Associate, Tech For Good Institute (TFGI)

Key Takeaways

1. The digital and AI-driven economy is transforming skill requirements across sectors in SEA, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to lifelong learning and workforce development.

The discussion revealed deep concerns about the accelerating pace of technological change, where training completed just months ago quickly becomes outdated. This reality underscores how the rules of the game are constantly evolving, presenting unprecedented challenges for workforce development. What emerged from the conversation was recognition of increasingly diverse skill demands: technical competencies in AI and data analytics, digital literacy across traditional sectors, and most critically, hybrid skills that combine domain expertise with digital capabilities. These requirements extend beyond individual skill acquisition and point to a fundamental misalignment between educational systems that operate on yearly cycles and technological capabilities that evolve on a monthly basis.

This observed reality is supported by evidence showing that skills needed for any given job have changed by as much as 40% since 2016 across SEA countries. The roundtable further highlighted how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face compounding barriers, including inadequate skills and limited financial resources for digital adoption. Specifically, 57% of SMEs identified inadequate ICT skills as the primary obstacle to digital adoption. A critical insight from the discussion was the need for AI-enabled workforces to retain essential thinking skills, rather than relying solely on technology, to preserve human agency and analytical capabilities within increasingly automated environments.

2. Reskilling, upskilling, and human-centric work design are essential strategies for promoting fair, inclusive, and sustainable labour markets in the region.

The discussion emphasised that successful workforce transformation requires more than technical training, highlighting the importance of workplace well-being and human-centric design. This broader perspective recognises that contextualised and individualised training approaches, particularly those leveraging AI technology, may be more effective than traditional one-size-fits-all programmes. The discussion also underscored the critical role of industry-led efforts to identify skills needs, alongside career conversion programmes that enable mid-career transitions into growth sectors. A strong consensus emerged around job redesign initiatives aimed at transforming workforces rather than simply replacing workers.

However, financial constraints remain a significant gap between corporate expectations and actual investment. Given that 76.1  The roundtable also addressed psychosocial risks associated with digital work environments, including screen fatigue, social isolation, and excessive work hours. Research cited in the discussion indicates that 58% of workers across seven Asian countries are at high risk for mental health challenges. Consequently, the discussion converged on the necessity of policies addressing the right to disconnect and flexible work arrangements as integral to sustainable workforce strategies.

3. Strong public-private partnerships and forward-looking investments are essential to building a resilient and adaptable workforce that strikes a balance between innovation and worker protections.

The discussion emphasised that successful initiatives rely heavily on genuine collaboration between stakeholders across the digital economy, rather than simple coordination exercises. This perspective led to exploring a partnership model that combines engagement with global technology leaders while simultaneously collaborating with local enterprises to create comprehensive training ecosystems. Emerging concepts, such as sharing economy frameworks and workforce-as-a-service, blur traditional employment boundaries, requiring new approaches to worker protection.

The conversation further highlighted different methods for stakeholder mapping and responsibility allocation, stressing the importance of clear roadmaps that define roles for government, academia, industry associations, and workers. A key question arose around “the automation dividend”: how society should distribute the time and efficiency gains from AI and automation, particularly since effective reskilling needs to be industry-led as businesses best understand current skill requirements and gaps.

However, this approach requires whole-of-industry coordination, including supply chains, and ensures that smaller enterprises are integrated into the transformation process. While women represent 34-40% of the technology workforce across SEA-6 countries, questions remain about whether current partnerships truly empower them economically or risk creating vulnerable employment, underscoring the need for accountability frameworks that prioritise worker welfare alongside business objectives.

The discussion on workforce investment in SEA has reached a critical juncture: either continue with incremental adjustments or address fundamental questions of equity and inclusion raised by technological change. Participants consistently emphasised that keeping pace is vital in an environment where technology advances monthly, yet educational systems operate on yearly cycles. This mismatch is reflected in evidence showing that the skills needed for any given job have changed by as much as 40% since 2016 across SEA countries — an urgent reality that demands attention. Building on these observations, the conversation highlighted adaptability, flexibility, and agility as core requirements for workforce transformation. It underscored the importance of developing human capabilities that complement rather than compete with AI. The decisions made today will shape not only economic outcomes but also the inclusive nature of societies, emphasising the need for evidence-based policies that centre on people’s welfare and opportunities in the face of technological progress.

This roundtable marks the conclusion of TFGI’s New Models of Work virtual series, but the discussion continues. The insights and challenges identified in these regional conversations will inform in-country roundtables across six SEA nations, where localised strategies for workforce resilience and adaptability will be further explored. These country-specific dialogues will provide opportunities for deeper examination of national contexts, policy frameworks, and targeted interventions tailored to the unique workforce needs of each market.

For detailed post-event notes from previous virtual roundtables and information on upcoming sessions, click here: https://bit.ly/TFGI_NMW.