As the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) moves toward its next strategic planning cycle, its recently completed Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for FY 2026-2027 provides a timely picture of the evolving capacity-building needs of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) stakeholders and a substantive evidence base for shaping the Staff College’s future programs, services, and strategic priorities.
The TNA comes at an important point in CPSC’s institutional planning. In 2025, the Staff College undertook the Midterm Review of the CPSC Strategic Plan 2023–2028 through the Strategic Planning in TVET cum Expert Meeting on Midterm Review and Evaluation held in October, followed by the Senior Executives’ Conference held on December 4, 2025.
The assessment gathered inputs from TVET stakeholders across CPSC member countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Viet Nam, a CPSC charter member, also participated in the TNA. Non-member countries, including Ethiopia, the Marshall Islands, and Sudan, likewise contributed to the assessment.
Statistical data graphic showing the perceived relevance of established thrust areas at the organizational and country levels.
The TNA examined the relevance of CPSC’s 11 established thrust areas, as well as emerging areas that may shape future capacity-building initiatives. Overall, the established thrust areas recorded a mean relevance rating of 4.15 at the organizational level and 3.82 at the country level, which indicate that these areas continue to be relevant to the needs of participating organizations and their broader national contexts.
The findings also point to several areas that are gaining importance as TVET systems respond to technological, environmental, and workforce transformations. Among the established thrust areas, respondents expressed strong interest in strengthening Training of Trainers, curriculum development, leadership and management, knowledge and learning management systems, and TVET institute-industry linkages. At the topic level, selections highlighted areas such as strategic leadership for future-ready TVET systems, emerging ICT technologies, digital transformation, modern pedagogy, industry partnerships, sustainable entrepreneurship, practical research tools, green technology, quality assurance, digital teaching and learning systems, industry-aligned curricula, and project management.
Statistical data table illustrating the organizational- and country-level relevance of emerging areas.
The assessment further analyzed emerging TVET areas, where Teacher Upskilling and Digital Capability; Digital Transformation and AI Integration; Green Skills and Sustainability; Industry 4.0 and Future-Proofing Skills; Work-Based Learning and Partnerships; Soft Skills and Resilience; and Micro-credentials and Modular Learning emerged as areas of continuing relevance. The six emerging areas recorded an overall mean of 4.10 for organizational relevance and 3.88 for country relevance.
These findings provide several directions for CPSC’s future training programs. The TNA recommends continued attention to leadership, instructional capability, curriculum development, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, industry-responsive and competency-based TVET, green and sustainable TVET, entrepreneurship and technopreneurship, research capacity, quality assurance, and integrated cross-cutting programs. It also calls for a differentiated and flexible approach to training delivery that can respond to both shared regional priorities and country- or institution-specific needs.
Importantly, the assessment is positioned not only as a basis for immediate program planning but also as an input to CPSC’s longer-term institutional direction. The report identifies its findings as an evidence-based reference for the planning and development of future training programs and interventions, while supporting the formulation of the CPSC Strategic Plan for FY 2028-2033.
As CPSC moves toward the next strategic planning cycle, the TNA findings offer a consolidated view of the changing capacity-building needs of TVET stakeholders. They point to a sector increasingly concerned with becoming future-ready, digitally capable, industry-responsive, sustainable, and people-centered, while reaffirming the continuing relevance of CPSC’s established areas of intervention.
The findings will therefore serve as one of the evidence bases that CPSC can draw upon in refining its training portfolio, designing its future programs, identifying potential resource persons and partners, and informing the institution’s strategic direction after 2028.
