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The Future is Now: Jobs as Engines of Economic Transformation conference

On May 21, 2024, KWPF will hold a one-day event featuring most impactful KWPF grants on Jobs & Skills Development, one of the KWPF priority sectors. The conference will present key findings from the forthcoming “Jobs” report, which will be launched at the Spring Meetings 2024.

KWPF Global Workshop 2024 - Highlight Video

The Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility (KWPF), established in May 2013, is an initiative to strengthen partnership between Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF) and the World Bank. As the largest MoEF trust fund managed by a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), KWPF supports countries that seek to adapt and apply Korea’s development experience and technical expertise to achieve their own development goals. Since its establishment a decade ago, KWPF has received US$518 million in contributions and supported 193 grant projects across sectors.

On May 21, 2024, KWPF held a one-day event featuring most impactful KWPF grants on Jobs & Skills Development, one of the KWPF priority sectors. The conference presented key findings from the “Jobs” report, which was launched at the Spring Meetings 2024.

The conference was held in close cooperation with the Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ) GP at the World Bank. The event presented how KWPF, as a catalyst in innovation in development, facilitates innovative ideas and sustainable solutions to address various challenges, by enhancing inclusive opportunities, improving employability especially of vulnerable groups, and promoting investments in human capital and skills development.

Key objectives of the event include:

1. Highlight the key achievements and impacts accomplished by KWPF grants in the Jobs sector

2. Facilitate dialogue on best practices and lessons from clients, task teams, and partners

3. Showcase best practice examples where Korean knowledge was leveraged in response to client demand

4. Promote innovative approaches to addressing challenges in the Jobs sector in the post-pandemic world

5. Strengthen Partnership with key stakeholders

Participants:

• Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea (MoEF)

• Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea (MOEL)

• World Bank (incl. DFI VP, DFI Director, SPJ Senior Advisor)

• Korean Knowledge Partners (academia, think tanks, SOEs, public agencies, private sector)

• SPJ GP task teams and KWPF grant teams

• Grant beneficiaries

Event Date: Tuesday May 21, 2024

Time: 09:00 - 17:00

Venue: Fairmont Ambassador Hotel Seoul, Republic of Korea

Time

Program

09:00-09:30

Welcome Coffee / Participant Registration

Session 1 - Opening Session

09:30-10:30

Opening Remarks

  • Jae Hwan Kim, Director General, Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea (MoEF)
  • Akihiko (Aki) Nishio, Vice President of Development Finance (DFi), WB

Congratulatory Remarks

  • Maitreyi Das, Director, Trust Funds and Partner Relations, DFi, WB

Keynote Address: Korea's Journey in Employment

  • Youngsun Koh, President, Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI)

Presentation: KWPF, Skills Development and Jobs

  • Alexandra Pugachevsky, KWPF Program Manager, DFi, WB

15-min Networking Coffee Break

Session 2 - Global Vision: Jobs in the Post-Pandemic World

 

10:45-11:15

[Session 2.1] World Bank Perspective: Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ)

  • Moderator: Maitreyi Das, Director, Trust Funds and Partner Relations, DFi, WB
  • Presentation: Jamele Rigolini, Senior Advisor, SPJ GP, WB
  • Q&A from the audience

 

11:15-11:45

[Session 2.2] Korea Perspective: Expanding Korean Knowledge for the Global Community

  • Moderator: Jason Allford, Country Manager, Korea, WB
  • Remarks: Korea’s ODA in the Jobs sector as the Global Pivotal State
  • Eun-Chul Kim, Director General, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea (MOEL)
  • Presentation and Panel Discussion: Introduction of global knowledge-sharing activities
  • Minkyeong Kang, Director, Global HRD Cooperation Department, Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) - ODA Cooperation: Capacity Building Program of Skills Competition to Narrow the Skills Gap
  • Sang Hyon Lee, Research Fellow, Employment Service Support Division, Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS) - Introduction to KEIS 
  • HwaChoon Park, Director, Centre for International Cooperation, Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training (KRIVET) - KRIVET Overview
  • Jin-kyoung Shin, Deputy Director, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea (MOEL)

11:45-13:15

Networking Lunch

Session 3 - Enhancing Inclusive Opportunities

 

 

 

13:15-13:45

[Session 3.1] Sierra Leone: Strengthening Skills Development

  • Moderator: Mokhlesur Rahman, Senior Education Specialist, Education GP, WB
  • Presentation and Panel Discussion:
  • Eunhye Jo, Manager, Global HRD Cooperation Department, Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) - Sierra Leone Skills Development Project: Study Tour to Korea 2023
  • Hawa Alice Koker, Deputy Director of Southern Region, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Sierra Leone

 

 

13:45-14:15

[Session 3.2] India: Knowledge Sharing for Policy Impact – Korea-India Partnership over the Years

Session 4 - Jobs of the Future

 

14:15-14:45

[Session 4.1] Philippines: Post-Pandemic Jobs and Skills Strategies

  • Moderator and Presenter: Ruth Rodriguez, Senior Social Protection Specialist, SPJ GP, WB
  • Presentation (video): Philippines TVET Plan
  • Panel Discussion:
  • Rosanna Urdaneta, Deputy Director General of Policies and Planning, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Philippines
  • Ja-Eun Shin, Professor, Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management

15-min Networking Coffee Break

 

 

15:00-15:30

[Session 4.2] Mongolia: The Future of Jobs and Skills

  • Moderator and Presenter: Yang Huang, Senior Economist, SPJ GP, WB
  • Presentation and Panel Discussion: Mongolia Jobs Diagnostic and Technical Assistance on Public Employment Service
  • Natalia Millan, Economist, SPJ GP, WB - The Future of Jobs and Skills in Mongolia
  • Altantulga Bor, Head of the Employment Division, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Mongolia
  • Dorjpagam Monkhooroi, Director of Research Department, Assessment and Research Institute for Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Mongolia
  • Sang Hyon Lee, Research Fellow, Employment Service Support Division, Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS)

 

 

15:30-16:00

[Session 4.3] Lao PDR: Priority Skills for Growth

  • Moderator: Kenichi Nishikawa Chavez, Senior Economist, SPJ GP, WB
  • Presentation and Panel Discussion: Introduction to the Lao PDR: Priority Skill for Growth project and the Korea-Lao PDR Partnership for Improved Skills Development and Job Matching
  • Silima Keopaseuth, Social Protection Specialist, SPJ GP, WB - Korea-Lao PDR Partnership for Improved Skill Development and Job Matching 
  • Boungnorth Chanthavone, Director General, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR
  • Su Jung Choi, Professor, Department of Workforce Development and Vocational Education, Seoul National University

Wrap-Up

16:00-17:00

Closing Remarks

  • Brice Quesnel, Manager, Trust Funds and Partner Relations, DFi, WB

Korean Cultural Performance

17:00-19:00

Cocktail Reception

Date: May 21, 2024

Time: 03:33 PM - 03:33 PM ET

Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea