Towards vocational training reaching regional and international levels

GD&TĐ - Developing a number of vocational training facilities and training professions to reach regional and world levels is a major goal being pursued.

Training for integration

In the context of increasingly deep international integration, the quality of human resources is considered the "golden key" that determines the competitiveness of the economy . The draft Action Program of the Party Central Committee to implement the Resolution of the 14th Congress clearly defines the goal: Developing a number of vocational training institutions and training professions to reach the level equivalent to the region and the world.

This is not only the orientation in the Vocational Education Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, but also an inevitable step to affirm Vietnam's position in the global value chain.

Vietnam currently has about 1,800 vocational training facilities, training millions of workers each year, but only a few facilities reach the same level as the ASEAN region or internationally.

In Thai Nguyen alone, a locality considered a major industrial and educational center of the Northern midland and mountainous region, there are currently 41 vocational training establishments, including 10 colleges, 8 intermediate schools, 2 continuing education centers, 2 vocational training centers and 19 other establishments with vocational training activities. However, to date, no establishment has been announced to have reached the same level as the region and the world.

Vocational training institutions still face many difficulties in improving training quality.

Experts say that the reason why there are no vocational training facilities that meet the ASEAN or international standards is due to many factors: Training programs do not meet international standards, investment is still scattered, there is a lack of in-depth international cooperation and the support mechanism is not really strong.

However, with the potential of human resources and an early-developing vocational training system, Thai Nguyen can completely choose a number of key schools to invest in towards regional standards in the 2025-2030 period, if there is a clear and synchronous strategy.

Mr. Nguyen Van Kien, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Thai Nguyen province, said that the province has many high-quality vocational training facilities, which have cooperated in transferring training programs, technology and standardizing teaching staff according to advanced models of other countries. This is a premise for further development and quality improvement towards regional and international standards.

Enterprises - important links in high-quality vocational training

In the current trend of linking vocational education with the needs of the labor market, enterprises are considered the central factor determining the quality of training. Experts affirm: To form a high-quality vocational training ecosystem, enterprises are not only "employers" but must become partners of the school, participating directly from program development, scholarship funding, providing practice environments to recruitment commitments.

A typical example is TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company (Thai Nguyen) - a company that has been involved in textile and garment training for many years. From 2019 to now, TNG has sponsored nearly 10 billion VND in scholarships for hundreds of Thai Nguyen students majoring in garment and fashion design. All graduates are recruited to work at the Company's factories.

TNG's policy is very humane: 100% tuition support, students from poor, near-poor households, and policy families are also sponsored with living expenses of 2 million VND/month and are committed to employment with a salary of 12 million VND/month or more after graduation. This "training-recruitment" model helps businesses proactively source high-quality human resources, while opening up sustainable employment opportunities for learners.

International cooperation is an important driving force to promote educational development towards regional and international standards. Photo: TL

Mr. Pham Duc Thuan, Principal of the Vietnam-USA Vocational College (Thai Nguyen province) commented: Without the support of businesses, schools will find it difficult to grasp the new skill requirements of the labor market. The close connection between the two sides is a decisive factor to avoid training imbalances, surplus of unskilled workers but lack of highly skilled technicians.

Cooperation models like the one between TNG and vocational schools show clear effectiveness: Students learn on real production lines, access modern technology and have jobs right after graduation.

In order for Vietnam to have a vocational training facility that meets regional and world standards, it is necessary to continue promoting the connection of the “three houses”: State - School - Enterprise. In which, the State plays the role of guiding and creating policy mechanisms; schools innovate training programs and methods; and enterprises are the decisive link, helping training to be closely linked to production.

High-quality vocational training is not only the task of the education sector, but also the responsibility of the whole society. When each locality identifies key occupations, each enterprise becomes a strategic partner of the training institution, and each vocational school strives to meet regional standards, that is a breakthrough to improve the quality of Vietnamese human resources in the integration era.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/huong-toi-dao-tao-nghe-vuon-tam-khu-vuc-quoc-te-post755140.html