A Vietnam – Australia seminar on vocational skills took place in Ho Chi Minh City on October 23, within the framework of the Australian Vocational Skills Week in Vietnam.

At the event  

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Truong Anh Dung said it is forecast that about 250 million young workers will be impacted by the demand for skilled workforce in the next decade.

As Vietnam is striving to build a start-up nation with competitiveness and gross domestic product growth, the country considers vocational training a key to propelling rapid and sustainable growth, he said.

He hoped that during the week and the seminar, Australia will share its experience in vocational training for enterprises.

Australian Education Counsellor Joanna Wood said her government has spent three decades on changing perception and developing vocational education. The nation has so far boasted the lowest unemployment rate in the world.

Jimmy Pham, founder of “Know one, teach one” model, suggested forming close links between vocational training centres, schools and universities, thus creating more job opportunities to students and meeting corporate demand.

Participants discussed cooperation models between Vietnamese and Australian schools, enterprises’ involvement in building vocational skills standards and assessing national vocational skills, and attracting women to vocational training.