Lifting Business Role in Vocational Training

Quang Binh province has a relatively abundant labor force, with over 13,000 people reaching working age every year. With the advent of more investors, the demand for skilled human resources for expanding business operations is increasing. Therefore, the province has issued many policies to support and encourage the development of vocational education.

Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Quang Binh province, on the above content. Ngoc Tung reports.

To meet rising requirements for vocational training, how has Quang Binh province focused on developing vocational training institutions in recent years?

Stemming from practical requirements for human resource training, Quang Binh province pays special attention to reviewing, arranging and developing vocational education schools. Particularly, the province takes the training performance as the basis for building vocational education schools at a reasonable scale. It merged or dissolved underperforming or poorly equipped facilities and merged facilities to scale up their combined capacity.

The province also encourages and facilitates enterprises and investors to establish vocational schools and join vocational training. At the same time, the province attaches great importance to developing teachers and educators to ensure quantity and quality for education.

To date, the province has 16 vocational training schools, including two colleges, five high schools, eight district-level vocational education centers, a vocational training center run by the Quang Binh Women's Union and one privately-run vocational training center. In addition, four units provide short-term vocational training of less than three months. Local vocational training facilities train about 20,000 people a year, including 4,000 at intermediate and college levels.

Besides, the province has increased administration decentralization and facilitated the self-financing mechanism for vocational education institutions. To date, some schools such as Agricultural and Industrial Engineering College, Quang Binh Vocational College, and Tourism and Technology School No. 9 can finance over 50% of their operations. Medical schools and economic schools can also finance 30-40% of their working budgets.

In 2019, vocational education facilities enrolled 15,700 students. After graduation, over 80% of trainees were employed, with graduates of some majors fully recruited by local enterprises. In 2020, they have strived to enroll 15,500 trainees to raise the share of trained workers in the labor force to 65%, with 26% holding diplomas and certificates. By 2025, the share of trained workers will reach 72%, with 36% having diplomas or certificates.

In addition to developing the facility system, how has the quality of vocational training been improved in the province?

While focusing on developing the facility system, improving teaching quality is of particular concern. Specifically, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has actively directed colleges and high schools to proactively review, develop and change training programs according to new regulations.

Currently, schools spend 55-70% of the training time for practical skills and send trainees to companies/factories to acquire real working skills before they graduate and enter the labor force. Vocational training schools also step up information technology application to management and teaching. Moreover, learners can approach and practice soft skills in computer science, foreign language, behavior, discipline and labor awareness.

For vocational training for rural workers, the department organized many order-based vocational classes. Some companies also registered to join vocational training and recruited workers after apprenticeship.

In 2019, the province provided vocational training for 3,698 rural workers, including 2,140 farming workers and 1,558 non-farming workers. After apprenticeship, most trainees find jobs with an average monthly income of VND3.5-6 million each.

In order to improve the quality of human resource training, to meet the increasing requirements for national industrialization, modernization and international economic integration, vocational schools have fostered technology transfer and international cooperation. Specifically, Quang Binh Vocational College is supported with training equipment, personnel training and industry transfer of US$500,000 by South Korea’s ODA project and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Tourism and Technology College No. 9 signed a memorandum of understanding with some South Korean universities and colleges to train and provide labor.

Active international cooperation helps vocational schools acquire experience in vocational education in other countries on the principle of equality, cooperation and mutual benefit. At the same time, they grasp opportunities to effectively attract resources to improve the quality of human resources.

In order to encourage businesses to engage in vocational training and job creation, what support policies has Quang Binh province been carrying out?

To train workers that companies need, vocational schools are guided by the Provincial People’s Committee to cooperate with enterprises in training, while enterprises are encouraged to engage in vocational training or join hands with vocational training in worker training.

The province issued policies to support personnel training such as Resolution 19/2017/NQ-HDND dated July 18, 2017, of the Provincial People's Council on investment preferences, incentives and supports in Quang Binh province; Decision 45/2017/QD-UBND dated November 7, 2017, of the Provincial People's Committee on procedures for implementation of investment preference and support policies under Resolution 19/2017/NQ-HDND; and Decision 5224/QD-UBND dated December 31, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee on SME support to 2025.

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs also cooperates with other departments to integrate vocational training support for businesses through vocational training for rural workers, industrial promotion programs and tourism development programs.

Thus, many local and large-scale external companies have cooperated with vocational schools to enroll, train and recruit trainees, especially coordinated in training program development and evaluation, focusing on practical application and practice at enterprises. Training fields are mainly designed for tapping local potential and advantages such as biotechnology, technology, finance, supporting industry, marine economy, tourism and high-tech agriculture.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum