To promote experience sharing in communication activities in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam organised the workshop “Developing communication and enrolment strategies” for 25 PR focal points from 11 partner colleges across the country. The activity took place at the College of Technology II in Ho Chi Minh City from June 07 to June 09, 2023.
During the three-day training, participants revised key concepts of SWOT analysis, goal setting, building customer personas, creating key messages, event planning, and long-term communication strategy development. They applied these concepts to practice building specific strategies for their TVET institutes’ brands and occupations. “The practical sessions and group discussions help deliver the theories in realistic contexts, giving us the opportunity to reassess the strengths and limitations of previous admissions seasons, listen to feedback and effective methods of other colleges, and brainstorm more ideas for our own colleges’ communication activities in the coming years,” Ms. Nguyen Vu Bao Chi of Hue College of Industry shared.
Every year, during admissions season, colleges often experience fierce competition from universities, which have been increasingly lowering their barriers to entry in recent years, in their appeal to prospective students. Despite the advantages of having more practical applications, longer practice time and higher business engagement, TVET is not yet appealing to young people and their families due to prejudice against apprenticeships. To challenge this stereotype, communication work needs to deliver stories and messages that help society see the career opportunities that TVET brings.
“Communication should not only concern recruitment activities but the college also needs to conscientiously establish a sustainable and healthy brand. Communication should not only be the work of a few dedicated personnel or departments, but each staff member needs to become an ambassador to uphold a good image of their college. The development of a communication strategy helps us plan and allocate resources efficiently. In addition, evaluation and measurement of communication objectives is also of utmost importance as it helps units better track progress towards defined objectives”, said Mr. Nguyen Duc Tai, Head of Digital Transformation Department, An Giang Vocational College.
Within the framework of the workshop, participants also visited the College of Technology II and listened to the college representatives share their experience with digital adoptions in brand communications. Currently, the Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam is supporting partner colleges in two areas: Digital transformation and Image promotion, providing colleges with competitive advantages in the 4.0 media era.
The activity is carried out within the framework of the Vietnam-Germany Cooperation Programme “Reform of Technical and Vocational Training and Education in Viet Nam”. The programme is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).
