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The goal of human resources development in APEC is to promote the well-being of all people and achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the region.

The Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG) was established in 1990 and conducts work programs on developing human resources, focusing on issues ranging from education, capacity building to labor and social protection. In addition, the HRDWG has responsibilities to help build cultural awareness and promote gender equality as well as be responsible for including disability issues in its workplan. The mission of HRDWG is “Sharing knowledge, experience, and skills to strengthen human resource development and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” The working group is guided by these three objectives:

• Develop 21st century knowledge and skills for all
• Integrate human resources development into the global economy
• Address the social dimension of globalization

To accomplish these objectives, the HRDWG conducts its work program both through the working group directly and through its three networks:

• The Capacity Building Network (CBN), which focuses on skills development, human resource management and vocational training through crosscutting collaboration to facilitate 21st century talents, enhance employability and provide quality employment.
• The Education Network (EDNET), which focuses on fostering strong and vibrant learning systems across APEC member economies, promoting quality and equitable education to enable people of all ages to meet the challenges of rapid change in today’s world through enhancing competencies, accelerating innovation and increasing employability. For more details, please refer to the EDNET webpage available here.
• The Labor and Social Protection Network (LSPN), which focuses on fostering strong and flexible labor markets and strengthening social protection, including social safety nets, through evidence-based interventions, collaboration, technical co-operation and the provision of labor market and social protection information and analysis to address sustainable human resource development across APEC member economies. 

The HRDWG 2025 theme “Connecting, Innovating, and Prospering: Education, Training, and Employment Strategies to Build A Sustainable Tomorrow” further advances the APEC 2025’s theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow” and its three priorities of Connect, Innovate, and Prosper. Additionally, the Lima Roadmap to Promote the Transition to the Formal and Global Economies (2025-2040), endorsed by the APEC Leaders in 2024, will underpin HRDWG’s work, with a specific focus on “developing a skilled workforce through inclusive access to education, capacity building, and employment”.

Reflecting shared priorities of all APEC economies through extensive consultations, HRDWG members will continue to spearhead initiatives based on the endorsements of the “HRDWG Arequipa Goals” in 2024 and the “HRDWG Detroit Non-Binding Principles and Recommendations ” in 2023 that built upon the aspirations of APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 and the 2025 host year theme, as well as the Aotearoa Plan of Action.

Last page update: April 2025

Contacts

Current Activities

HRDWG Lead Shepherd Advisory Council Meeting (Virtual)

On 14 February, the HRDWG Lead Shepherd Zhao Li chairs the first Lead Shepherd Advisory Council (LSAC1) meeting in 2025. LSAC1 is joined by Network Coordinators (CBN, EDNET and LSPN), Co-Chairs of Network; Coordinators of the FotC on Promoting Disability Policies (PRC and ROK); and officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea. The HRDWG works for the year will be guided by the recently endorsed the HRDWG Work Plan with the 2025 Theme "Connecting, Innovating, and Prospering:  Education, Training, and Employment Strategies to Build A Sustainable Tomorrow". Additionally, LSAC members deliberates on proposals for AEMM and HRDMM pre-meetings and SOM1 side events (March 3-5); Network and FotC’s priorities; as well as the development of the SOM2 agenda and themes (May 6-12).

Key achievements and areas of focus:

• Endorsement and implementation of the HRDWG Arequipa Goals in 2024 by HRDWG members that aims to advance impactful progress through policies that empower people with disabilities for sustainable and inclusive growth. 
• Establishment of HRDWG Friends of the Chair on Promoting Disability Policies in 2024 will strengthen collaboration among members and with other APEC sub-fora to promote sound disability policies.
• Affirmation from 21 economic leaders and at ministerial levels in 2023 on the HRDWG Detroit Non-Binding Principles and Recommendations for Equality and Inclusion in Education, Training, and Employment as reflected in the Joint Ministerial Statement of the 2023 APEC Ministerial Meeting (paragraph 19) and APEC Leaders’ 2023 Golden Gate Declaration (paragraph 10) towards achieving strong, balanced, secure, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
• Implementing the APEC Education Strategy, endorsed by the 6^th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting in 2016, which sets the framework for guiding future projects and collaborative initiatives for the benefit of the region, based on the following three pillars:
• Enhancing and aligning competencies to the needs of individuals, societies and economies
• Accelerating innovation
• Increasing employability.
• The development and implementation of the APEC Framework on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age, which was endorsed at the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age held in May 2017 in Viet Nam. The Framework provides a platform for strengthening human resources development in the region, increasing worker preparedness for the digital age, and ensuring that labor market policies match the changing needs of the region’s labor market.
• The implementation of the APEC Economic Policy Report for 2017 (AEPR) on Structural Reform and Human Capital Development, which was released by APEC in November 2017—the first time an AEPR has focused specifically on human capital development. This report contains a number of specific policy recommendations that HRDWG is currently working to implement in collaboration with the Economic Committee.
• Advancing the APEC Services Competitiveness Roadmap (ASCR) Implementation Plan 2016–2025 to facilitate the mobility of skilled labor and professionals, and to ensure the quality of skills and competencies that meet the supply chain demands of the region.

HRDWG’s project work

In support of these core areas of focus, the HRDWG’s three networks have a number of active APEC projects currently underway related to labor mobility, qualifications recognition, digital literacy, global competencies and youth employment, the details of which are accessible here.

Leadership:

The HRDWG’s lead shepherd serves as the working group’s chair and each network has one coordinator. The lead shepherd and network coordinators will have as their co-chair a representative from the HRDWG host economy who will serve in the co-chair capacity for one year.

The current HRDWG lead shepherd for 2025-26 is Mr Zhao Li (USA), Deputy Director, International Relations & Economic Research, U.S. Department Of Labor
Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; and [email protected]

(Four advisors to be copied are Mr Patrick Del Vecchio, [email protected]; Christopher Watson, [email protected]; Mr. Simon Nyamu, [email protected]; and Mr. Hughes McLean, [email protected])

The co-chairs for APEC HRDWG is Mr. Kim Min-seok (Korea), Vice Minister of Employment and Labor; and Mr. Oh Seok-hwan (Korea), Vice Minister of Education. Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]
(Coordinating officer to be copied: [email protected]; [email protected])

The current Network Coordinators are:

• Capacity Building Network:
  Ms. Carmela Torres, Undersecretary, Employment and Human Resource Development Cluster, Department of Labor and Employment (Philippines, CBN Coordinator for 2025-2026)
  Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
  (Coordinating officers to be copied: to be advised; [email protected]; [email protected], [email protected])
  
  Mr. Byeongsu Kim, Director, Vocational Skills Policy Division, Ministry of Employment and Labor (Korea, CBN Co-chair for 2025)
  Contact: [email protected]
  (Coordinating officer to be copied: Ms. Jeong Yeseul, [email protected])

• Education Network:

Prof. Yuchi Zhao, Executive Director, UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education
(China, EDNET Coordinator for 2025-2026).
Contact: [email protected] and [email protected]
(Coordinating officer to be copied: Ms Xinyi Niu, [email protected]; [email protected])

Ms. Sujeong Kim, Lead, APEC Education Ministerial Meeting Task Force, Ministry of Education
(Korea, EDNET Co-chair for 2025). 
Contact: [email protected]
(Coordinating officer to be copied: to be advised)

• Labor and Social Protection Network:
  

  Mr. Vincent Iung-yu LIN, Assistant Director-General, Ministry of Labor
  (Chinese Taipei, LSPN coordinator for 2025-26).
  Contact: [email protected]
  (Coordinating officer to be copied Mr Eric Lee [email protected]; and Mr Mason Cheng, [email protected])

  Ms. Jihye Park, Director, Development Cooperation Division, Ministry of Employment and Labor (Korea, LSPN Co-chair for 2025).
  Contact: [email protected]
  (Coordinating officer to be copied: Ms. Jeong Yeseul, [email protected])
  

Coordinators for 2025 Friends of the Chair (FotC) on Promoting Disability Policies are:

• Mr Liang You (China)
  Contact: [email protected]

• Ms Min Jeon Jung (Korea)
  Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]