In order to meet the above requirements, the vocational education institution needs to correctly identify key sectors and occupations in regional and international as well as domestically that are in great demand. the vocational institution should be based on consideration of the appropriateness of all factors such as international standards, outputs, teaching plan, facilities, teaching equipment, documents, staff, trainers qualifications and method of lure to attract learners from which to take innovative actions base on the available infrastructure and resources of vocational institutions with support from the public sector and the foreign partners.
As a typical example, the General Department of Vocational Education and Training and Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the vocational education and training sector, a component of the program ”Aus4Skills”, an Aus4Vietnam investment by the Australian Government, is a five-year program providing support to Vietnam to achieve the shared goal that Vietnam can access and use high level professional and technical knowledge, skills and competencies to contribute to the country’s sustainable economic and social development, and enduring links with Australia. Vocational Institutions are selected to participate in this program will get many benefits.
The MOU signing Ceremony on cooperation in the vocational education and training sector between Aus4Skill progam representative, Deputy General Director of General Department of Vocational Education and Training, Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLR) and leaders of Enterprises (Photo by VLR)
In the framework of the work plan for 2019-2020, the Aus4Skills Program in collaboration with Strategix Organization and Queensland University of Technology successfully organized a short-term training course (2 weeks) on Strategy Development and Evaluation. Competency-based Training and Assessment (CBTA) and successful pilot training of two models at Thu Duc College of Technology and Ho Chi Minh City College of Economics. Following this success, in 2020, the Aus4Skills Program continued to successfully organize an online training course (3 weeks) for trainers of vocational training schools and managers from local logistics enterprises in Hai Phong city Vietnam. Maritime College No.1, the only logistics vocational training institution is selected to experiment training module in receiving and storing cargo within 3 months in 2020. The program has also strengthened and improved skills for vocational lecturer and staffs. This is also the leading solution in building capacity for vocational education and tranining institution to provide the best quality for relevant courses.
The Aus4Skills program creates a close connection between business and vocational education and training institutions. After each course, Australian experts and business representatives evaluate the actual job skills of learners, so the quality of learners significantly improved to meet the needs of businesses.
Activities of Participants of the course: Australian expert, Lecturers of Maritime College No. I and staffs of logistics enterprises (photo: Maritime College No.I)
From the above example, it shows that in the context of Vietnam was increasingly participating in the process of economic integration and international science and technology, it is natural to comply with new generation free trade agreements (FTAs) with strict requirements and we have to optimize the efficiency of the global value and supply chain, so it is necessary to have sufficient human resources to participate in such integration process.
Currently, the international cooperation on science, technology and innovation (innovation) is mostly taking place in R&D institutions and university, the international cooperation on Science, technology and innovation have not really focused on vocational education and training institutions. Therefore, international cooperation activities on science, technology and innovation in vocational education and training institutions still have a lot of opportunities for development and need the support of the public sector as well as the international S&T community. In order for this space to develop, creating a boost for the output efficiency of vocational education products, Mother organ of vocational education and training institutions , state authorities on vocational and training education need to strengthen more linkages with other Business associations, programs and projects and taking advantage of the support from relevant ministries, branches and localties to further support for vocational and training education institutions to access advanced programs in the world. The mentioned mother organ and state authorities also need approach with foreign technology partners in technology transfer and innovation cooperation to meet the increasing requirements of learners as well as the end users of output products of vocational education and training institutions.