On December 30, 2019, the final workshop on the results of the pilot assessment of High Quality Colleges 2019 took place at Ly Tu Trong College, Ho Chi Minh city. Participants of the workshop were leaders from the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET), the Department of Science-Education and Culture-Social Affairs/ Government Office, the Vietnamese-German programme “Reform of TVET in Viet Nam” as well as delegates from eight piloted colleges and external auditors.

“The development of High Quality Colleges contributes to increasing working productivity and international integration”, Dr. Truong Anh Dung, the Deputy Director of DVET emphasised. On the basis of the adjustments of the project “Development of high-quality colleges until 2025” approved by the Government, the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs developed a set of criteria and standards for high quality colleges. The five criteria refer to the scale of training; qualification of teachers; cooperation with the business sector in recruitment and training delivery; school management and competencies of college trainees and graduates.

Based on the revised criteria and standards for high-quality colleges in 2019, DVET in cooperation with the programme “Reform of TVET in Vietnam” implemented a range of activities in piloting the assessment of eight colleges: from develop and adjust the set of standards and criteria to the implementation of the internal and external evaluation. The final workshop shared the results of the assessment as well as lessons learnt and experience in the implementation process. This was also an opportunity to get valuable inputs to further improve the criteria and standards. Most of the participant agreed that that the pilot criteria and standards are applicable, appropriate with objective of quality breakthrough and strongly focus on the cooperation between enterprises and colleges. On the other hand, “some standards need to be adjusted to be more practical. Specifically, the role and function of High Quality Colleges should be clearly defined”. Ms. Britta van Erckelens, the Deputy Director of the Vietnames-German Programme shared.

Dr Truong Anh Dung highly appreciated effective advice of the Vietnamese-German Programme during the implementation of the pilot assessment. After the workshop, the criteria and standards will be finalised and the result of the pilot assessment will be a foundation for DVET and MoLISA to work on a Circular on the Guidance of the criteria, standard and assessment process for High Quality Colleges.