On the morning of 6 December, at Cao Thang Technical College (Sài Gòn Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the Congress of Delegates of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education, 1st term (2025–2030), was successfully held, attended by more than 200 delegates from vocational education institutions and enterprises.
Mr Trương Anh Dũng, Director of the Department of Vocational and Continuing Education, highlighted the key role of vocational education and training (TVET) in training high-quality human resources for Viet Nam.
The key role of vocational education and training
Speaking at the Congress, Mr Trương Anh Dũng, Director of the Department of Vocational and Continuing Education, Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), affirmed that TVET is entering a phase of strategic development, institutionalising the Politburo's Resolution 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development with seven key orientations. This affirms the key role of TVET in developing the country's high-quality human resources.
Mr Trương Anh Dũng expressed his hope that the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education would not only achieve its objectives but also strengthen its links with state management agencies, becoming a key channel for comments, advice and policy critique in the fields of education and TVET.
Mr Lâm Văn Quản, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education (term 2020–2025), said that the Congress was taking place as Ho Chi Minh City is being reorganised under a new model that closely links Ho Chi Minh City, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu. The economy is entering a period of strong digital and green transformation. The revised Law on Vocational Education creates a legal framework that promotes autonomy, transparency, standardisation and international integration.
"This gives the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education a new role: not only connecting schools, but also connecting enterprises, experts and international organisations, and becoming a driving force for vocational skills development across the region," Mr Quản stressed.
As of October 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education had 232 members, including 70 members working at vocational education institutions and universities, 25 members at enterprises and 137 individual members and affiliated units.
Many outstanding achievements
Over the past period, the Association has performed well in its role of advising on and critiquing policy, working alongside the Department of Education and Training, the Department of Vocational and Continuing Education and vocational education institutions in preparing the revised Law on Vocational Education and vocational skills development programmes. These results reflect the shared effort, dedication and solidarity of all its members.
The Association has been directly involved in career guidance activities both inside and outside the city. Each year it provides guidance at more than 300 lower and upper secondary schools, reaching more than 250,000 pupils, and works with the Youth Employment Service Centre of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union to organise an annual career guidance fair, among other activities.
In particular, in 2025 two member schools were included in the list of 10 colleges nationwide in the "2025 assessment of high-quality colleges": Cao Thang Technical College and Vien Dong College (the only non-public college in the country to be included in the list).
In addition, Vien Dong College was honoured to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Education and Training for its outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Innovation and creativity in management, teaching and learning, 2020–2025".
With the National Assembly about to adopt the revised Law on Vocational Education, Mr Trương Anh Dũng said that, for the first time, the Law includes two articles on the role and responsibilities of enterprises, as well as new provisions on enterprise training funds to support human resource development.
On the sector's general direction in the coming period, the Director of the Department of Vocational and Continuing Education stressed the need to focus on standardisation, modernisation and comprehensive quality improvement. The target is for 80% of vocational education institutions to be standardised by 2030, together with stepping up digital transformation and international integration and strengthening labour market information links to ensure that training quality closely matches practical needs.
Mr Trần Anh Tuấn, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Vocational Education, takes part in a career guidance programme for pupils in Ho Chi Minh City.
Three key tasks for the new term
- Improve the quality of TVET and standardise it in line with Resolution 71.
- Promote digital transformation and develop the vocational skills ecosystem.
- Build a vocational skills ecosystem based on a two-tier model, implemented in phases.