The Workshop on Impacts of Industry 4.0 on Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Viet Nam, organized by the Central Committee of Propaganda of the Communist Party and the Directorate of Vocational Training (DVET) of MoLISA, supported by the Vietnamese-German Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam, took place in Hue on 13 December 2017. Chaired by Dr Nguyen Dac Hung, Director of the Department of Education, Training and TVET of the Central Committee of Propaganda, and Dr Truong Anh Dung, Deputy Director of DVET, the workshop focused on recommendations on how TVET needs to be adjusted in order to keep up with the technological developments of Industry 4.0.

Prof Pham Do Nhat Tien, Vietnamese Peace and Development Foundation (VPDF), explained that the 4^th Industrial Revolution will affect all economic sectors and aspects of life which requires a long-term strategy for the whole education sector with a specific, measurable action plan. To keep up with the changes of Industry 4.0 such a strategy needs to focus on the demand-orientation of training and the cooperation between higher education and TVET, emphasized Dr Mai Huu Tinh, Association of Viet Nam Universities and Colleges (AVNUC). He also highlighted the importance to invest primarily in practical training of teaching staff instead of equipment and buildings. The need for combining theory and practice in TVET was also confirmed by Prof. Pham Huy Dung, Thang Long University (TLU).

With their presentation on possible implications of Industry 4.0 for TVET in Germany, Ms Lisa-Marie Kreibich, Technical Advisor, and Mr Michael Stark, Development Advisor, Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam, added another perspective to the discussion. Mr Michael Stark explained that Industry 4.0 processes will be implemented step by step starting from the digital interconnection of selected production processes and resulting in global connected partner systems which cover the whole value chain. “In order to react to these ever quicker evolving technological developments and the resulting requirements for adjustments in TVET”, Ms Lisa-Marie Kreibich highlighted, “flexibility of TVET institutes is crucial, so that occupational standards and training programmes can be adjusted regularly and on short notice.” Therefore, over-regulation should be avoided. Furthermore, potential future employers need to have a decisive say in defining occupational standards and training programmes and need to be involved in designing the process of assessment and certification. This kind of set-up allows for employment-relevant training offers which reflect the latest technological developments and are accepted by the business sector. Additionally, a close cooperation of TVET institutes and companies in the training provision can lead to well-defined practice-oriented training phases in the company and thus gives the trainees the opportunity to acquire relevant skills directly in the real world of work using the latest technologies.

Dr Vu Xuan Hung, Director of the National Institute for Vocational Education and Training (NIVET), shared that the Vietnamese government is preparing to meet the challenges of the 4^th Industrial Revolution. TVET institutes will be autonomous which will allow them to better meet the faster changing demands of the business sector by independently developing training offers in closer cooperation with the local industry.

Dr Nguyen Dac Hung, Director of the Department of Education, Training and TVET of the Central Propaganda Committee concluded that the recommendations developed during the workshop will be submitted to the Politburo and MoLISA for the integration into future guidelines and policies. He encouraged DVET to prioritize the restructuring of the network of TVET institutes and the analysis of all current training offers to derive recommendations for adjustments.

This activity builds on the successful collaboration of the Programme Reform on TVET in Viet Nam and the Communist Party in recent years, which includes the discussion of Dr. Sommer and Mr. Dinh The Huynh, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, at the party dialogue between the German Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the joint organization of several workshops with the Central Committee of Propaganda and the Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Children.