Australia supports vocational education and training in Vietnam

The Australian Government on Thursday launched the pilot Logistics Industry Reference Council to promote industry linkages with vocational education and training (VET) in partnership with the Government of Vietnam.

At the launch of the pilot Logistics Industry Reference Council

This pilot council aims to draw on the example of Australia’s vocational education and training system and adapt it to Vietnam’s context with stronger engagement with the business community.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Craig Chittick, said that Australia is happy to share experience in an industry-led vocational education and training system to assist Vietnam to develop a system that will increase its productivity and support its economic growth.

"Our system, developed over a number of decades, is underpinned by a national framework of skills standards developed through a process of consultation with industry," he said, "This ensures that standards for training are of a high quality and meet the workforce development needs of industry, enterprises and inpiduals.”

Vice President, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cum Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Branch, Vo Tan Thanh, said: “The pilot Logistics Industry Reference Council is an innovative approach to actively engage the logistics enterprises in VET. The council will validate the occupational skills standards developed under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transport and Logistics project which was led by Australia and Vietnam is a participating economy. VET providers can then use these skills standards to develop short courses and long-term training to address the relevant labour needs of the logistics industry.”

The logistics sector has been selected as a focal industry that can serve as a demonstration model that can potentially be applied in other sectors in Vietnam. The selection of logistics was based on the readiness of logistics sector leaders to participate, the importance of this expanding sector for Vietnam’s economic development, Australia’s trade with Vietnam, and the occupational standards recently defined by the APEC Transportation and Logistics Project 2014-2016.

This launch will be followed by the first workshop, from 18 to 21 December 2017, on competency- based curriculum writing for academic leaders and senior trainers of selected VET colleges as well as enterprise-based trainers from logistics enterprises. The training will equip the participants with theory and skills for writing competency-based curricula for warehouse operator and supervisor, logistics administration, freight forwarder and forklift operator./.

VNF/NDO