Implications of Construction Vocational Education and Training for Regional Competitiveness: Case Study of Singapore and Hong Kong

Abstract

Construction vocational education and training (VET) systems serve the mission of enhancing construction productivity and social cohesion, which are essential attributes for regional competitiveness. It is imperative to determine the policy implications of the construction labor force’s skill formation that concerns both the economic and social development of Asian metropolitan regions. Nevertheless, little comparative research has investigated construction VET models of the fast-changing regions. This paper used a multiple exploratory case study design to study the construction VET of two Asian metropolises, Singapore and Hong Kong, which share similar historical paths of skill formation and face comparable challenges of skills shortages and aging workforces in the construction sector. The research design combined an in-depth literature review, document analysis, field trip observations, and semistructured group interviews. The results revealed how developmental, collective, and liberal skill-formation features were combined to form the hybrid construction VET systems in the two metropolises to serve the governments’ agenda of enhancing productivity and developing high-skills societies; and unveil the political-economic, cultural, and historical reasons underpinning the challenges faced by the systems in developing occupational competence of construction workforce.