The Colombo Plan Staff College, with its commitment to contribute to the creation of a flexible, multi-skilled and a world-class workforce in Asia and the Pacific toward reducing the gap between education and industry, is holding a Regional Program on Competency-Based Training (CBT) System for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions from 16 - 27 January 2006 at CPSC, Manila, Philippines.

The two-week long program gathers more than 20 TVET experts; representatives of employers' organizations and industries developing learning packages for employable competencies; and training officers involved in designing CBT system curricula.

The program is all set to provide a significant learning opportunity for the participants who, at the end of the program are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the nature and context of CBT - its philosophical origins,  framework, advantages and limitations; and explain issues and trends in its implementation;
• Identify competency standards based on determined individual and training needs and forecasted labor market trends;
• Formulate performance criteria of competency elements that reflect a standard set of competency-based outcomes;
• Determine the appropriate structure and content in the design and develop competency-based instructional materials;
• Understand the methodology and tools to develop training packages; 
• Introduce the CPSC web-based teaching and learning system as an innovative method of CBT delivery;
• Devise criterion-referenced evaluation tools for measuring progress, performance, certification and accreditation; and 
• Examine CBT programs of other institutions through experience sharing of lessons learned, best practices, challenges and opportunities.

The Regional Program will be inaugurated by Honorable Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of the Republic of the Philippines, who will deliver the Keynote Address at the Inaugural Ceremony on 16 January 2006.

At the helm of the program is the CPSC Director General, Dr. Man-Gon Park, who directs its overall management as Program Supervisor. He is assisted by Dr. Ligaya Valmonte, CPSC Faculty Consultant, who acts as Program Coordinator and Resource Person; and Dr. Hazrat Hussain, CPSC Faculty Consultant as Program Co-Coordinator and Resource Person.

Dr. Suresh K. Dhameja, Prof. Myong Hee Kim and Dr. Soon Hyung Park, all CPSC Faculty Consultants will serve as Resource Persons for the program.