Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays an increasingly important role in building human resources for the national economy, especially in the current context of industrialization and modernization. Thanks to this role, TVET also has the potential to make a significant contribution to accelerating gender equality and social inclusion, by improving access for women and other disadvantaged groups to education and training, promoting their participation in the labor market, and equipping them with the necessary skills to meet the career needs of the future.
However, this potential remains largely unfulfilled in the TVET sector in Vietnam, particularly in the fields of science and technology training, which are considered male-dominated industries. Although, in recent years, the number of female students studying at TVET institutions has increased, the proportion of female students is still much lower compared to male students. Specifically, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the percentage of female students accounted for only 31.6% of the total number of enrolled students, and 29.7% of the total number of graduates at the TVET institutions in 2020.
The TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Programme is giving particular attention to promoting gender equality and social inclusion in TVET. The programme believes that the removal of tangible and intangible barriers that hinder participation and benefit from the TVET system in Vietnam can proceed to ensuring equal rights in accessing education and employment opportunities.
In 2021, the programme supported a study on “Gender equality in TVET”, aiming at a better understanding of gender issues in TVET, such as the ratio of male and female students participating in TVET courses, ratio of male and female teachers at TVET institutions, employment rate by gender, wage gap by gender, unemployment rate by gender, data gaps on gender equality in TVET, etc. The study also made recommendations related to strengthening gender mainstreaming in TVET policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring, as well as improving enrollment and retention of female trainees at TVET institutions.
In response to the month of “Action for Gender Equality” launched by MOLISA and UN agencies, GIZ and the (General Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DVET) jointly organized a workshop on “Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Participation in TVET” in 2 days 21st and 22nd October 2022 at Tam Chuc, Kim Bang, Ha Nam. The conference aimed at the following objectives:
- Raise awareness on the importance of promoting women’s participation in TVET
- Based on the TVET Gender research, identify measures for strengthening gender mainstreaming in policy making and monitoring
- Identify measures for enrolling and retaining women in TVET programmes
- Create a list of actionable steps to follow up on
The workshop was attended by a large number of delegates from the Board of Directors and departments of DVET, rector, vice-rectors, teachers, and students of TVET institutions, GIZ, non-governmental organizations in the TVET sector, and consultants on Gender and TVET.
After listening to presentations on the results of the study “Gender Equality in TVET” and the consultant group’s recommendations on mainstreaming gender into TVET policy and improving enrollment and retention of female students, the workshop participants had a lively discussion about gender mainstreaming in TVET policies, analyzed the relevance and feasibility of each recommendation, explored the challenges and opportunities in actualizing recommendations, identified the leading and partnering parties, etc.…
Within the framework of the workshop, a panel discussion was also held with the participation of panelists from DVET, GIZ, teachers and students of TVET colleges, and representatives from Passerelles Numeriques Vietnam (PNV) – an NGO working in the TVET sector. The panelists firstly shared their observations and insights on the current status of gender inequality in the enrollment and retention of female students. They all agreed that gender inequalities in access to TVET could affect the access to and participation of women in multiple occupations, while the low female representation in those occupations, in turn, affects the girls’ mindset and choice of TVET training courses. The panelists also recognized the key factors contributing to gender imbalance in TVET enrollment and retention, such as gender norms, societal expectations towards males and females, the male-dominant learning environment, financial pressures, etc. The panelists also exchanged current measures and lessons learned from their institutions, and made suggestions for future improvement.
Before the closing of the first day of the workshop, the participants worked together to develop a preliminary action plan, including activities to be implemented to strengthen gender equality in TVET in general and improve enrollment and retention of female students in particular. The TVET programme planned to continue to discuss these action plans directly with DVET and TVET institutions to develop and agree on specific plans for further actions.
On the second day of the workshop, the delegates visited Ha Nam Technical and Vocational College, and listened to the school’s sharing about their mechanisms of attracting, recruiting, and promoting female teachers and female staff. The school also shared how they encourage female involvement in innovation and quality improvement, as well as their actions in supporting female teachers and students.
After two working days, the workshop has served as the basis of upcoming actions to improve the understanding of issues and identify and implement solutions for gender equality in TVET. These actions will allow the TVET programme to pilot and reinforce an evidence-based approach to gender mainstreaming in TVET, thus contributing to gender equality in access and benefitting TVET opportunities in Vietnam.
