Developing Human Capital: Examining the Framework and Strategies of EU and ASEAN

Human capital is one of the critical drivers of the economy around the globe. It centres on skills acquisition, education and training, health, and the well-being of employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies were forced to operate on a remote set-up, significantly affecting human capital development. EU has employed several strategies to further strengthen human capital. On the other hand, the ASEAN region still has to develop many areas to continue to maximize its economic growth and support its human capital development. Thus, this chapter aims to examine the policy framework of the EU and ASEAN to address the disruption brought about by the pandemic. This chapter will also discuss the different strategies employed by individual governments to further improve human capital development. This chapter will also outline the lessons that ASEAN can learn from policy development and techniques that can be employed to ensure the steady improvement of human capital across the region.