Chapter 3: Workforce Education and Development in East Asia and the Pacific

East Asia and the Pacific are still the fastest growing economic regions in the world despite widespread uncertainties in recent years due to global economic and political turbulence (see Table 3.1). As one of the centers of economic power, the region could hardly remain immune to the globalizing impact of economic and technological change. The dynamism and resilience of the economies in East Asia and the Pacific, popularly known as the Asia Pacific region, is partly due to the rigorous human capital investment by lead countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Nevertheless, in an era of uncertainties, one thing is certain: The economic structure of the future will be more competitive, consumer oriented, decentralized, and internationalized.