Hanoi, 25 May 2017

“The 4^th industrial Revolution requires us to shift from the traditional rigid training system to a more flexible and open one to meet the fast changing requirements of the production and business sector.” Ms Nguyen Thi Hang- the President of VAVET & SOW and former Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) stressed.

Within the wider framework of the APEC High-Level policy dialogue forum regarding workforce trainings in the digital age, the Vietnam Association of Vocational Education Training & Social Occupational Work (VAVET & SOW) held a workshop on “Occupational Cultures in the Digital Age – Participation of Associations” at Hanoi Mechanical and Electrical Vocational College on 25 May 2017. The workshop brought together representatives from the association, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), their respective directories and departments, sector associations, the business sector and TVET institutes. Ms Nguyen Thi Hang, President of VAVET & SOW and former Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), stressed the importance of digitalisation on TVET and the need for awareness of the topic in her opening speech.

Representing the Programme Reform of TVET in Viet Nam, Mr Christian Knuppertz, delivered a presentation on the “Impacts of Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 on the World of Work, Skills Education and Training and Social Protection – Blessing or Curse for TVET”. He emphasised that both, Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 are key features of the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” constituting a new stage of technological change. While many unknowns concerning the impacts on TVET remain Mr Knuppertz stated that in order to tackle the challenges TVET faces in Viet Nam, close cooperation with the business sector (enterprises, chambers and associations) is a must. Joint development of occupational standards, flexibility in developing and adjusting training programmes as well as autonomy on the side of the TVET institutes to do so, are the key for TVET delivery in the future. Therefore, the key message of the presentation can be summarised as “Regulate as little as possible and only as much as necessary”, as Mr Knuppertz underlined.