Vocational teacher professionalisation as human resource development: policy reflections from Indonesia

Vocational teacher professionalisation is increasingly recognised as essential for skills formation, yet it is often treated separately from human resource development (HRD) debates. This conceptual paper reframes vocational teacher professionalisation as an HRD strategy linking vocational education and training (VET) systems to workforce transformation. Using international policy frameworks (ILO, UNESCO, UNESCO-UNEVOC, OECD, and the World Economic Forum) as analytical lenses, the paper synthesises global guidance with Indonesian policy directions and scholarly literature. The analysis identifies three interrelated HRD strategies: (1) industry-based teacher internships and work placements to strengthen occupational currency and pedagogy – practice alignment; (2) digital competence and soft skills development to support adaptive professionalism; and (3) competency-based certification linked to continuing professional development (CPD). The paper contributes an integrative HRD framing of teacher professionalisation and articulates implementable policy implications for systems facing inequality and resource constraints. The Indonesian case highlights conditions for transferability to other emerging-economy contexts.