“I enjoy all lessons in companies. Learning in the companies helps us to understand the high requirements of the work in the real world and helps us to better prepare both mentally and professionally for our future job”, Mr Nguyen Xuan Anh shared with experts after lesson observations.

The lessons observations are applied as a quality management instrument to monitor the implementation and progress of the practice-oriented lessons within the cooperative training for the occupation ’Sewage Engineering Technicians”, that started in November 2015.

This three-year vocational training program is currently being piloted at Ho Chi Minh Vocational College of Technology (HVCT) with the supports of the Field of Activity 3: TVET for Skills Workforce in the Wastewater Sector under the Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam – German International Cooperation (GIZ).  The cutting edge of this cooperative training program is the close cooperation between HVCT, the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association and five wastewater treatment companies based in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho and Ba Ria Vung Tau in the development of the occupational standard as well as in the development and implementation of the training program according to German standards.

The cooperative training programme aims to promote the close linkage between vocational training supply and industry demand and therefore promotes the intensive participation of enterprises in TVET. The cooperation with companies in training reduces costs for expensive training equipment for TVET institutes and at the same time ensures provision of training that actually meets the demand of companies. Trainees are equipped with sufficient theoretical knowledge at the TVET institute while obtaining working competencies and attitude in companies. To ensure the quality of the training, teachers at the TVET institute and in-company trainers of companies have received technical and pedagogical further training courses within the frame of the Field of Activity 3 in cooperation with its German experts.

The lesson observations that were conducted from August 3^rd to 5^th, 2016 by an expert team of the Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam (GIZ) at three partner companies (Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage – Environment Company Ltd.; Ba Ria – Vung Tau Urban Sewerage and Development One Member Ltd. and HCM City Urban Drainage Company Ltd.) showed that the trainees of the pilot class have gained significant practical knowledge via performance of concrete tasks/duties at the wastewater treatment companies. Diversified practical exercises motivated the participation of trainees in the lessons and helped the trainees to gain practical knowledge and working skills quickly. The practicality of the lessons’ content as well as knowledge and occupational skills of in-company trainers have been evaluated at an excellent level. Besides, the practical lessons in a real working environment raised the awareness of the trainees on work safety. The trainees not only always have to use labour protection equipment appropriately and correctly in the lessons in the companies, but also have to recognize possible dangers at the working place and be aware of their characteristics as well as the importance of labour protection equipment.

The Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam developed and is applying the quality management instrument – lesson observation – at all partner TVET institutes and in companies participating in all its cooperative training programmes to ensure the quality of practice-oriented lessons. Lesson observations provide systematic and continuous feedbacks to teachers and in-company trainers concerning the degree of practice and learner orientation of the lessons at the TVET institute and in companies. These feedbacks are very helpful for the quality development process according to German standards to identify systematically the strengths and weaknesses of the training and to have reliable evidences for further quality improvement.

In the near future, the cooperative training program between TVET institute and companies can provide the labour force with occupational knowledge and skills at an international standard that fulfils the increasing demand for well-qualified labour of domestic and international companies. This cooperative training program contributes to the implementation of the Viet Nam TVET development strategy until 2020.