Active cooperation with the stakeholders, especially the business sector, is an essential condition to ensure the quality and demand-orientation of TVET activities in Vietnam. To facilitate further discussions about this issue, the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) and the Vietnamese-German Programme “Reform of TVET in Viet Nam” jointly organised two thematic workshops: “Increasing demand-orientation and quality of TVET in Viet Nam through cooperation between TVET and business sector stakeholders” and “Competent in-company trainers” in Ho Chi Minh city on 22 and 23 October, 2018. The workshop attracted more than 50 participants from DVET, the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Department of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), sector associations, TVET institutes and enterprises.

In the context of international economic integration and industrial revolution 4.0, skilled labour are the key to improve the competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy. Demand-oriented TVET plays a very important role and a close cooperation with the businesses sector will ensure that training activities are effective and meet the needs of the market. In order to enhance demand-oriented TVET in key secotrs of the economy, since 2015, the Programme “Reform of TVET in Viet Nam” has piloted four cooperative training programmes in Mechatronics, Metal Cutting – CNC, Industrial Electronics and Sewage Engineering Technician at two Centres of Excellences: LILAMA 2 International College of Technology (LILAMA 2) and Ho Chi Minh City Vocational College of Technology (HVCT).  According to this model, the business sector is closely involved in all stages of the training process, from programme development to training implementation and assessment.

“This equips TVET graduates with the knowledge, competencies and work attitudes to meet the enterprises’ demands for quality labors as well as to reduce their cost for re-training”, said Mr. Dinh Truong Viet, Head of Technical and Production Department of Ishisei Vietnam, partner company of LILAMA2. The model has been institutionalised in Circular 29/2017/TT-LDTBXH and was included in the Draft Decree 48 providing guideance on the implementation of the VET Law, prepared by MOLISA and submitted to the Government.

At the workshop “Increasing demand-orientation and quality of TVET in Viet Nam through cooperation between TVET and business sector stakeholders”, experiences from the Vietnamese-German pilot cooperative training models were shared and discussed.  Based on these lessons learnt, participants provided concrete recommendations on the policy and future orientation in order to strengthen the cooperation between TVET and the business sector. In this context particular attention was paid to the role of in-company trainers.

Competent in-company trainers are the decisive factor for the success of cooperative training activities jointly implemented by TVET institutes and enterprises. During the thematic workshop focusing on this topic, participants provided inputs for methods and mechanisms to develop quality in-company trainers. After lively discussions, they achieved mutual understanding about the approach and future core elements of the occupational profile, minimum capacity requirements as well as the process of capacity building and certification for in-company trainers in Viet Nam.

Dr Vu Xuan Hung, Director of the Formal Education Department, emphasised: “It is necessary to clearly define the rights and responsibilities of each stakeholder in TVET activities in which enterprises are involved, thereby building an effective cooperation mechanism among the State, Enterprises and TVET institutes”. Dr Hung also mentioned the need to clarify incentive policies for teachers and in-company trainers, improve labor market forecasts, establish Industry Boards and develop Public Private Partnership (PPP) models in TVET.

The activities were held within the field of activity “Policy Advice and System Reform” 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 Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).