The Keynote Addresses were chaired by John Fien, Professor of Practice, School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, Australia. He highlighted the following overarching question to be addressed by the speakers which was synthesized in Round Table Discussion 1 later in the day.
Professor Fien discussed education for 21st Century skills. TVET needs to incorporate higher order, social competencies, digital and wider skills. In fact, these skills should be incorporated in all education, not just TVET. There is a need for evidence-based research and also a need to move to an inclusive and sustainable development paradigm for TVET. What is required is a new international agenda on TVET.