1. Skills Standards Formation on Construction Sector: Experience of Lao PDR
Presented by Mr. Phouvanh CHANTHAVONG
Director General
Department of Skills Development and Employment
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR
25 May 2010

2. CONTENTS I. Legal Instruments
II. Education and Vocational System in Laos
III. Skills Standard Development
Targets of Skills Development
Levels of Skills Standard Development
Type of skills Standard Development
Background
About the Project
Objectives of the Project
Priority of Skill Trades for National Skills Standard Formation in Construction Industry
IV. Procedure of Formation on Skill Standard in Construction Industry in Lao PDR

3. Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
I. Legal Instruments
Referring to Decree on Skills Formation and Development No.036/PM dated 22 January stipulated functions and responsibilities between Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare as following:
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
Article 36: Responsible Organization of National Skills Standard Development and Skills Testing Certification
Article 19: Responsible Organization of Vocational and Vocational EducationTraining (TVET)

4. II. Education and Vocational System in Laos
University 1 2 3 4 5
Gind
Plimary
Lower Second
Upper Second
Higher Education 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
Higher Technician
Higher Vocational 1 2 3 1 2 3
Entrance Examination
=Short term Vocational
Intermidiate Technician
=Long Term Vocational 1 2 1
=Entrance Exam
Higher Vocational
Vocational Training
=Vocational Education Sys 1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

5. III. Skills Standard Development 1. Targets of Skills Development
Develop skills in accordance with socio-economic structure and regional development for balancing labourforce between urban and rural areas, and regional integration;
Focus on making Lao workers acquiring knowledge, skills, attitude by upgrading training an skills testing and certification to whom basic vocational knowledge, working workers get higher level skills and skills experienced on practice, and others disadvantage persons;
Develop skills in accordance with three types of skill standards in order to develop Lao labor skills moving closer to ASEAN and International skills standard;

6. 2. Levels of Skills Standard Development
Level 1: Semi-Skilled Worker;
Level 2: Skilled Worker;
Level 3: Tradesman;
Level 4: Supervisor;

7. 3. Types of Skills Standard Development
National Skills Standard;
Local/Labor Unit Skills Standard;
Occupational Associations/Groups Skills Standard;

8. 4. Background
Lao construction industries sector is one important activity in the process of socio-economic development in Lao PDR and it is in an urgent demand in current market economy development involving regional integration under rapidly changing information technology;
Increased competition among business also leads to an increased demand in a
skilled labourforce;
Domestic and foreign investment projects particularly those in infrastructure development such as roads, hydropower and housing have been steadily increasing every year;
Skills development of the employers in conducted very independently, so the resulting trained work force find it not match with the regional skills development;
Trained skills are not sufficiently consistent with market need; there are no skills
standard specifications for each employment type making the Lao labour quality unacceptable by employers. Therefore there are large wage gaps between Lao and foreign workers.

9. 5. ABOUT the project
Project on Lao national skill standard in construction industry sector is supported by ILO/Korea Partnership Programme since
Implementing agency: The Department of Skills Development and Employment ( DSDE), The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR

10. 6. Objectives of the Project
Development objective: The project will contribute to the development of the Lao national skill standards and skill certification and testing system which will be institutionalized;
Immediate objective: By the end of the project a skill standards and testing and certification system for the construction sector will have been developed.

11. 7. Priority of Skill Trades for National Skills Standard Formation in Construction Industry
With Cooperation of ILO that organized the workshop on National Skills Standard, which was held on December 2007 in Vangvieng district , Vientiane province. The construction industry was selected and defined as priority to be developed as skills standard for 10 skill trades as following:
Reinforced concrete
Plastering and Brick laying
Cast Plaster and Faced Cornice
Plumbing
Welding
Electric installation
Wood furniture
Floor and wall tiling
Aluminum
Painting

12. Validate the skill standard
V. Procedure of Formation on Skill Standard in Construction Industry in Lao PDR
Interviewed
stakeholders
for collecting information
Analyzed and reported the output of data collection
Appointed construction skill standard
committee by Labour Minister
Sent four members of the committee to be trained in Korea
Set up technical taskforce for working with Korean experts
Draft format of reinforced concrete finalized in both Lao and English version
Reported the output to Labour Minister
Summary meeting with construction skill standard
Developed the reinforced concrete skill standard (steel
bar, concrete & form work)
Consultative meeting with construction skill standard committee
Enforcement of reinforced concrete and finalised 10 priorities skills standard
Meeting of approval format by stakeholders
Conduct pilot testing module in three skill standard
Feedback of pilot testing by stakeholders
Validate the skill standard

13. Thank you for your attention13