Hanoi, 13 and 14 January 2016

The development of occupational standards and learning outcomes in close cooperation with the enterprises and industrial and professional associations to ensure a strong connection between vocational training and the world of work, and the compatibility between Vietnamese vocational qualifications and international qualifications is an issue of great concern by General Directorate of Vocational Training (GDVT) and vocational institutes, especially in the context of ASEAN integration and globalization.

A joint workshop on occupational standards and learning outcomes was organized by GDVT and the ‘Programme Reform of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Viet Nam’- GIZ on 13 and 14 January 2016 in Hanoi. Participating in the workshop were leaders of GDVT and related technical departments, the National Institute of Vocational Training (NIVT) and the Vietnam Association of Vocational Training and Education and Social Work (VVTA&SWA) as well as German experts. Speaking at the workshop, Madam Nguyen Thi Hang, President of VVTA&SWA, emphasized: ‘It is crucial to translate occupational standards reflecting the needs of employers into learning outcomes of training programmes to ensure that vocational trainees will be efficient workers of the trained occupation when they graduate.’

Presentations from representatives of GDVT departments provided valuable insights for very engaging discussions among the participants on the current status and the outlook of occupational standard setting, development of training programmes, definition of learning outcomes in view of the National Qualification Framework, and TVET personnel development in Viet Nam.

The German experts’ presentations provided international perspectives on how standards are defined, how standard setting is done in Germany and other European countries, definition of learning outcomes in the EU and relation to qualification standards, recognition and compatibility, as well as consequences for the steering and management of the TVET system and teaching personnel. Dr. Harry Stolte, head of the expert group, emphasized: ‘The historic and socio-economic context of a country is important for the country to choose the model that works best for them. We cannot use the German occupational standards and learning outcomes for Viet Nam as the context and capacity of the two systems are totally different.’

From the inputs and discussions, a number of recommendations were drawn. In Viet Nam, the demand-orientation of standards is still a challenge; therefore, all stakeholders, especially the private sector, need to be involved in the development of occupational standards. It is crucial to develop capacities for the development and maintenance of occupational standards in Viet Nam. Also, the consequences for the development of training programmes and teacher training need to be considered. Furthermore, competent and motivated TVET personnel are a key factor for a successful implementation of standards.

Dr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy General Director of GDVT, concluded: ‘The workshop is an efficient forum for two-way discussions on concepts and approaches of occupational standards and learning outcomes and their implications to standard setting, curriculum development and teacher development practices in Viet Nam. We are looking forward to further and continuous discussions and a close cooperation with the “Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam” following this workshop.’