BRICS Working Group Recommendations on Skills Development, Applied Technologies, and Innovation

Technological cooperation among BRICS countries plays a vital role in strengthening skills, identifying and empowering talent, and enabling the transfer and scaling of achievements across member states. In this context, the working group places strong emphasis on establishing BRICS future skills training hubs.

Training Hubs and Joint Programs

Issuing skill certifications and exchanging best practices among member countries are key objectives of this initiative. South Africa has established five training hubs across three provinces, while the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority focuses on developing skills in urban and metropolitan management. China and Brazil are in the process of establishing future technology training centers, and China and India have launched joint educational programs in artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

BRICS Technology Challenge and Future Skills Development

The BRICS Future Skills and Technology Challenge has been held since 2017 and serves as a key instrument for workforce skills development across member countries. Since 2024, a dedicated technology component has been added to encourage innovative technological solutions in the field of future technologies. In 2024, the skills challenge was conducted in a hybrid format across Russia and China, covering 24 skill areas.

Key Recommendations of the Working Group

• Continuing the development of the BRICS Future Skills and Technology Challenge
• Expanding the establishment of training hubs for BRICS future skills development
• Facilitating forward-looking research on emerging and frontier technologies
• Strengthening technological cooperation and developing the BRICS technology platform
• Promoting knowledge-sharing initiatives such as the BRICS Skills Development Forum
• Recognizing and supporting the voluntary development of standards for assessment, competitions, and training programs