The youth demographic in the Asia-Pacific region is dynamic and evolving, playing a crucial role in driving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Engaging young people in efforts to enhance productivity and economic development is essential to unlocking their potential and achieving long-term, sustainable development goals. This aligns strongly with the APO Vision 2025 focus area of inclusive productivity, which promotes broad-based engagement of all groups of society. In support of this goal, the China Productivity Center hosted a face-to-face individual-country observational study mission on youth productivity from 10 to 14 March in Hsinchu and Taipei, the Republic of China (ROC). Six participants attended, representing the Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam (STAMEQ) and Dong Nai College of High Technology, Vietnam.

During the five-day program, participants engaged in a series of insightful site visits to 10 prominent institutions and organizations. These visits offered direct exposure to how productivity concepts, such as 5S, kaizen, and sustainability principles, are integrated into higher education curricula and extracurricular activities. They were complemented by interactive discussions of best practices in fostering youth productivity, and they provided participants with practical insights into how the ROC fosters youth involvement in productivity through strong collaboration between academia, industry, and government.

This observational study mission served as a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange, enabling participants to share their experiences and strategies for developing young productivity specialists. It also emphasized the critical role of youth-centered productivity initiatives in advancing national sustainable development goals. By investing in young talent and strengthening institutional capacities, such programs make a meaningful contribution to building a more inclusive, innovative, and resilient economy.