The workshop was organised to build a bridge for cooperation between Vietnamese vocational education institutions and Chinese universities, colleges and enterprises in training skilled human resources to meet production needs in line with internationalisation, digitalisation and greening.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Thị Việt Hương, Deputy Director General of the Department of Vocational and Continuing Education (Ministry of Education and Training, MOET); Dr. Vũ Trọng Bình, Director General of the Department of Employment (Ministry of Home Affairs); Dr. Phan Sỹ Nghĩa, President of the Viet Nam Association for Vocational Education, Training and Social Work (VAVET&SOW); and more than 200 delegates, including leaders of universities, research institutes and leading Chinese corporations in smart technology, as well as leaders of Vietnamese vocational education institutions, attended the workshop.
The workshop provided an opportunity for scientists, managers and training institutions of the two countries, as well as Chinese enterprises investing in production and business in Viet Nam, to exchange and share information on training needs in new occupations, the cooperation experience of Vietnamese vocational education institutions, and the potential for TVET cooperation between Chinese enterprises, universities, research institutes and vocational training institutions and other countries, including Viet Nam. The workshop promoted forms of cooperation such as developing teaching resources, developing standards, supporting practical training equipment, and student exchanges and cultural exchanges between training institutions and Chinese enterprises in Viet Nam, thereby strengthening training and production capacity in both countries.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Phan Sỹ Nghĩa, President of VAVET&SOW, said that the workshop was one of the activities contributing to the implementation of the Party's and the State's guidelines and policies on TVET development, such as the Vocational Education Development Strategy for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2045, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 2239/QĐ-TTg of 30 December 2021. In particular, it supports the implementation of the Politburo's recent Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, in training high-quality human resources to meet the country's development needs in the new era – the nation's era of rising.
At the workshop, delegates from the two countries shared a wide range of cooperation experience and proposed solutions and policy recommendations to make training cooperation more effective and substantive. Ms Phạm Thị Hường, Party Committee Secretary and Rector of Hanoi Industrial Vocational College, said that international TVET cooperation with Chinese vocational training institutions and enterprises had helped the college "internationalise" its training, giving its students opportunities to go abroad and gain access to advanced learning and practice methods in smart-technology-related occupations such as robotics and automation, AI and the semiconductor industry. The college currently partners with universities in Taiwan (China) and several Chinese enterprises investing in Viet Nam to send students abroad for training in semiconductor-related occupations.
Mr Zhang Kai, General Director of Wuhan Linca Online Education Technology Company, said: "This will be the first large-scale vocational education workshop between China and Viet Nam to be organised and held in Viet Nam. I believe it will be a successful and effective conference. The year 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Viet Nam and the China–Viet Nam Year of Cultural Exchange. This workshop is a positive response to the joint statement of the two countries and an opportunity to deepen cultural exchanges between China and Viet Nam."
"We will work with the Viet Nam Association for Vocational Education, Training and Social Work and the Chinese Vocational Education Association to implement a project to develop vocational education resources and standards for Viet Nam. We will select nearly 70 specialisations in eight major occupational groups that both countries urgently need. Chinese and Vietnamese colleges and Chinese-funded enterprises in Viet Nam will jointly develop standardised, forward-looking curriculum resources and establish corresponding curriculum and occupational standards to meet the training needs of students at Chinese and Vietnamese colleges and universities. As the Chinese implementing partner, we will support the parties in completing the resource and standards system, provide digital technology services, expand its application in China and Viet Nam, and strive to make the China–Viet Nam vocational education standards jointly developed by the parties into common international standards. As the teaching resources and standards system is applied in many colleges and universities in Viet Nam, we will work with Chinese-funded enterprises in Viet Nam to provide order-based training services for these enterprises and employment services for students of Vietnamese colleges and universities, ensuring that at least 80% of the high-quality trainees are recruited into highly skilled positions in Chinese-funded enterprises," Mr Zhang Kai added.
During the workshop, cooperation agreements were signed between Vietnamese vocational education institutions and Chinese vocational education institutions and enterprises; the Viet Nam – China Vocational Education Cooperation Centre was launched, with Mr Nguyễn Tấn Vĩnh, a member of VAVET&SOW, as its director; and the Viet Nam – China Mekong–Lancang Forestry Laboratory was launched.
According to the school leaders, Viet Nam – China TVET cooperation would progress further, bringing many benefits to learners, if the obstacles relating to training programmes and the recognition of qualifications were studied and harmonised by the regulatory authorities of Viet Nam and China.
On 20 March, delegates visited partner schools in several localities of Viet Nam.