On 21, November, 2018, in Ho Chi Minh city, the Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association (VWSA) and the German – Vietnamese Programme ‘Reform of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Viet Nam’ cooperatively organised the Workshop “Evaluation of short-term training and training of trainers for technicians in the wastewater sector” after 2 years of developing and piloting. Participants of the workshop were representatives from VWSA, leaders of wastewater management companies as well as German and local experts from the Programme ‘Reform of TVET in Viet Nam’ who cooperated with VWSA in standardising trainers, compiling training materials and conveying  teaching methods.

VWSA has become a provider of short-term training programmes in wastewater sector, with standardised trainer team and short-term training programmes which are oriented to German standards and adapted to the actual conditions in Vietnam. From 2016 to 2018, VWSA organised 10 short-term training courses to build capacity for 278 technicians from wastewater companies in Binh Duong, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Hue, Bac Ninh and Can Tho. All training courses have received positive feedback from the trainees regarding the content of the courses, the organisation process and quality of trainers and examiners.

Since 2014, within the frame of the Programme ‘Reform of TVET in Viet Nam’, 31 trainers have received thorough training and passed the qualification examinations according to the German standards. Among them, 29 trainers were certified by VWSA to be the trainers of the Association. In addition, VWSA also issued certificates to ten ‘Sewage Engineering Technicians’ examiners who were trained by the Programme. This team of trainers and examiners play a crucial role in capacity building for the technical force of wastewater companies.

At the evaluation workshop, participants reviewed the results of training activities in the last two years as well as provided VWSA with valuable feedbacks and recommendations for further training deliveries such as sludge treatment and energy management. Companies also expressed their commitment to investing more resources in capacity building for their staffs and technicians, as they are a core strength of a business.

With 41 wastewater treatment plants operating at a total capacity of 950,000 m3 a day and 28 new plants in the design and construction phase, Viet Nam is facing an increasing urgent demand for a technical workforce in wastewater sector. As businesses are implementing equitisation, restructuring, upgrading the production line as well as applying new technologies, it is essential that their labours get continuously training to ensure their competencies meet the requirements of the real world of work.

“Positive results after the last two years help VWSA gain more confidence and interest from companies in the wastewater industry, thereby creating favourable conditions for VWSA in expanding and deploying more training programmes in the future”, said Ms. Phan Hoang Mai, Team leader of Component 3, the Programme “Reform of TVET in Viet Nam”

The activity is held within the component “TVET for a Skilled Workforce in Wastewater Sector” as part of the Vietnamese-German Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam. The programme is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).