Technological advancement and AI-adoption have become key drivers of change transforming the nature of work across SEA. The rise of platform-based work is reshaping labour markets and unlocking new economic opportunities while presenting regulatory, social, and developmental challenges. These shifts call for novel approaches to workforce development for building resilience for an increasingly vulnerable workforce. The rapid adoption of AI in various facets of work is profoundly redefining skill requirements and is reshaping traditional career ladders, from entry-level roles to established management positions. While these trends unlock new economic opportunities for millions, they also expose significant risks, including the vulnerabilities of traditional degree-based pathways, and the displacement of workers in both routine and white-collar roles.

Together, these trends underscore the urgency for forward-looking and context-specific policies to help societies thrive in a digitally driven economy.

The New Models of Work Initiative

TFGI’s New Models of Work initiative explores how technology and technology-enabled business models are reshaping labour markets across the region. It consists of four regional virtual roundtables and six in-country specific roundtables, convening thought leaders, policymakers, businesses, and educators to examine key trends and challenges shaping the future of work. From these roundtables, three policy briefs outlining recommendations for building workforce resiliency were produced. The aim is to generate actionable insights to promote a sustainable and inclusive workforce ecosystem, one that bolsters resilience and strengthens SEA’s global competitiveness.

Key Policy Issues

• Balancing digital workforce development with the risks and vulnerabilities introduced by technological change, while fostering job creation and productivity growth.
• Ensuring inclusive access to emerging work opportunities across diverse population segments, especially in non-traditional forms of employment.
• Developing comprehensive policies that harness the potential of gig work, AI, and cross-border remote work, while addressing challenges such as social protection, fair wages, and algorithmic accountability.
• Supporting business and education sectors to align workforce development strategies with evolving digital labour market demands.

Regional Roundtable Series

The regional roundtables are organised around four core themes:

1. Impact of Emerging Technologies on Work

Setting the foundation by examining how AI as an emerging technology transforming work across sectors in Southeast Asia.

Read the post event note here.

2. Digital Platform Work (Tech Driven Non-traditional Work)

Broadening the discussion to other forms of non-traditional, tech-mediated work (e.g. gig work and freelancing).

Read the post event note here.

3. International Remote Work

Building on the previous roundtable by zooming in on one of the major shifts enabled by technology: cross-border work.

Read the post event note here.

4. Workforce Investment

Serving as a synthesis and forward-looking close. It pulls together insights from the previous three sessions to address how we can build a resilient, adaptable, and inclusive workforce in response to the disruptions and opportunities presented.

Read the post event note here.

In-Country Roundtables

To complement the regional dialogues, in-country roundtables were convened to capture country-specific perspectives and lived experiences from local stakeholders. These sessions surfaced national nuances, identified local challenges, and highlighted policy innovations tailored to each context.

Policy Briefs

Insights generated from the regional dialogues and in-country sessions helped shape our New Models of Work policy briefs. The briefs provide actionable recommendations for supporting specific segments of the Southeast Asian workforce. It offers deep-dive insights into the unique vulnerabilities of these segments from digitally native youth to experienced mid-career professionals, while highlighting systemic gaps in current education and regulatory frameworks. The briefs aim to provide policymakers and industry leaders with a starting point for ecosystem improvements that can empower workers for the future of work. The three policy briefs are:

• Building Resiliency for the Future of Work in Southeast Asia. This foundational brief calls for a shift away from fragmented, legacy labor regulations toward a broader conception of protection based on three pillars: Proactive (anticipating future skills), Progressive (addressing skill gaps through novel learning), and Pro-Innovation (balancing well-being with technological agility). It highlights the need to address systemic constraints, such as weak industry-education linkages, and warns that overregulation risks stifling the very innovation that has expanded economic participation for millions.
• Strengthening Labour Mobility for Southeast Asia’s Young Workforce Amidst AI-Driven Transformation. This brief focuses on the region’s young workforce and the disruption of entry-level roles which are the traditional training grounds for fresh graduates. It recommends accelerating education reforms through real-time labor market data, cultivating the “\HEAL”\ (Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy) economy as a resilient human-centric sector, and operationalizing regional mobility frameworks to facilitate seamless cross-border talent circulation.
• Promoting Mid-Career Resilience in SEA’s AI Economy. This brief examines the structural barriers that prevent mid-career workers from successfully transitioning into AI-augmented roles. The brief proposes a reform ecosystem built on People (integrated career health management), Pathways (just transition policies like income-contingent allowances), and Processes (such as leveraging futures thinking to update competency standards at the speed of industry).