Hanoi, 18-19 January 2011

On 18 January 2011, TVET Priority Area Coordinator and Programme Director Dr. Horst Sommer, opened the 2-day start-up workshop of the “Programme Vocational Training 2008 (PVT 2008)” – a component of the Vietnamese-German Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam. PVT 2008 aims at supporting TVET institutes in Viet Nam in increasing the provision of demand-oriented trained and qualified labour force for economic sectors with growth potential. It targets secondary school leavers seeking vocational training in TVET institutes, employed workers seeking to upgrade their skills as well as TVET teachers, instructors and managers of 5 supported institutes (namely, Viet Bac – Vinacomin Vocational Industrial College, Bac Ninh Vocational Economic and Technical College, Ninh Thuan Vocational Secondary School, Long An Vocational College, and An Giang Vocational College).

The workshop was organised following the finalization of the institutional Development Plans (DPs). The DPs present the envisioned development of TVET institutes and thus serve as a basis for the planning of further activities. As a result of close cooperation between the TVET institutes, GDVT, GIZ Viet Nam, KfW Viet Nam and international consultants during the elaboration process, workshop participants engaged into fruitful discussions. Director General of GDVT, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, highly appreciated the quality of the DPs and affirmed the agreement of GDVT with GIZ and KfW on the identified occupational areas (metal work, industrial electrics/electronics and mechatronics) to be supported at the institutes. He also emphasized that PVT 2008 would support Viet Nam in producing labourers with competences which meet regional standards in the supported occupational areas.

Highlight of the workshop was the presentation of the “three-layer-workshop” approach. This approach postulates that in order to provide demand-oriented training, practical training, in tight integration with theoretical training, must take place on three levels (fundamental training, trade-specific practical training, and training under workplace conditions) streamlined with the requirements of the respective future workplaces. According to this concept, Technical Cooperation measures have been defined in the DPs including further training of teachers and management staff, adaption and development of training modules as well as learning and teaching aids. Furthermore, Financial Cooperation measures (tendering, delivery and installation of needed training equipment) have been defined, which follow the planned TC measures. TC and FC are interlocked in this way in order to successfully fulfil training goals. This package of TC and FC measures was presented at the workshop and followed by constructive feedbacks and valuable perspectives on practical implementation issues by participants.

It is expected that the DPs of the 5 TVET institutes will be approved in February 2011 by Vietnamese authorities. An Operational Plan of Technical Cooperation for 2011 will be designed accordingly. Implementation of first activities could commence immediately afterwards. At the end of the workshop, all parties confirmed their determination and commitment to have an effective and successful cooperation for the implementation of the Cooperation Programme.