Call for Papers:

TVET@Asia invites researchers, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to a special issue focused on the theme of Bridging the Skills Gap: Industry–TVET Partnerships for Workforce Readiness.

Scope and Objective:

The rapid acceleration of digitalization, the transformative influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, the transition toward a green economy, and the volatility of global markets have created an urgent need for a workforce capable of adapting through continuous skill expansion and professional development. As industry requirements evolve more rapidly than traditional curricula, the synergy between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the industrial sector has become a strategic imperative. To ensure genuine workforce readiness, we must move beyond superficial cooperation toward deep, systemic partnerships.

Sustainable industry-TVET partnerships require alignment across multiple dimensions. At the institutional and legal level, public-private partnerships must be grounded in clear obligations and mutual requirements. Curricula must integrate the evolving competences demanded by industry, while teaching and learning methodologies should mirror actual workplace conditions. Furthermore, TVET institutions require the necessary infrastructure to support high-quality work-based learning, and educators must maintain an up-to-date understanding of industrial production processes to deliver industry-driven skills. Achieving these goals requires structured communication frameworks to facilitate continuous exchange between all stakeholders.

This issue aims to examine the various dimensions of industry-TVET partnerships in promoting workforce readiness. We invite original research papers, conceptual and theoretical works, policy-focused studies, and practical case analyses that investigate how established private-public partnerships can close the skills gap and enhance employability. Contributions may also provide critical reflections on policies, models, innovations, and the broader impact of these partnerships on learners, industries, and communities.

Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Co-Curriculum Development: Strategies for agile curriculum design involving industry stakeholders to ensure alignment with real-world labor market needs.
• Work-Integrated Learning: Evaluation of dual-education systems, apprenticeships, and internship models that effectively transition students from classroom to workplace.
• Teacher & Trainer Professionalization: Models for "industry-to-classroom" knowledge transfer and the continuous upskilling of TVET instructors.
• Policy & Governance: Analysis of public-private partnership frameworks that incentivize industry investment in vocational education.
• Inclusive Readiness: Ensuring that TVET partnerships address equity, diversity, and the inclusion of marginalized groups in the modern workforce.

This issue is intended to serve as an important reference and knowledge platform for educators, industry stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers who are dedicated to strengthening TVET’s role in bridging skills gap and promoting work readiness.

Submission Guidelines:

Authors are invited to submit their original manuscripts following the guidelines provided by TVET@Asia Online Journal. All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the quality, relevance, and originality of the research. Manuscripts should be written in English and adhere to the journal's formatting and citation style.

Please note that the journal does not provide language editing or copyediting services. Authors are therefore responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are written in clear and correct English prior to submission. Authors are encouraged to carefully check grammar, spelling, and language quality before submission and may consider using professional language editing services or AI-supported writing tools where appropriate.

We welcome submissions from any interested authors!

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Please find below:

• the template for the article template_TVETAsia.docx
• the form for the abstract form-abstract_tvet-online.docx

These are the editors of our upcoming TVET@Asia issue:

Adeline Goh Yuen Sze (University of Brunei Darussalam)

Philipp Grollmann (TU Dortmund University)

Siriphorn Schlattmann (Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna)

Lee Ming Foong (Tun Hussein Onn University of Malaysia)