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Some notable things in developing the system of management and quality assurance at vocational training institutions
16:13' 11/26/2015
(Ph.D Pham Vu Quoc Binh Director of Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency)

During the past few years, vocational education sector has received investment from the State and the Society in order to increase the quality of education, contributed to the developing of high quality workforce for the purpose of industrializing and modernizing the country in a new era. Investment has been increased through enhancement of modern facilities suitable for technological requirement for production, business, improving the quality of teaching force in terms of vocational skills and vocational pedagogy skills. Program, curriculums have been regularly innovated, updated, especially the transfer of several programs from regional countries and countries in the world has been made. Management and examination of quality has received considerable focus through simultaneous implementation of quality accreditation of vocational training at all levels. 60% of vocational colleges, 25% of vocational secondary schools have received outsource accreditation, accreditation results were publicized as well. 30% of vocational training institutions perform self-accreditation of vocational training quality annually. Therefore, recent increase in quality of vocational training is notable. Approximate 70% vocational students have a job relevant to their study, especially for some professions at college level, the rate is 95% right after graduation. Many vocational students achieved high prize at ASEAN competition and especially, for the first time, Vietnam won bronze medal at 43rd World skill competition held in Brazil in 2015.

However, despite large investment over last few years, the investment has been dispersed unevenly, the investment has not been in balance. Many vocational training institutions either invested too much in facilities, equipment or did not pay focus to improving caliber of the teachers or managerial staff. Many training institutions placed too much focus on introducing new teaching methods, teaching software but were not concerned with changing training program to better suit perception capability of the students, teachers.
Even when quality assurance factors are ensured, there is no guarantee of the sustainability in operation and education quality. For instance, even if the school has a good force of teachers, but with the absence of proper regulation of management of good teachers, well qualified people will leave the school for better environment that can better satisfy their needs. This is similar to facilities, equipments, yesterday, the school can have many modern, technologically-relevant equipments, and they can operate well, but if there is a lack of a scientific regulation, monitoring and maintenance system, the school will be unlikely to make accurate prediction of necessary equipment, machinery in an era of changing technology, they may not make reaction to machine breakdown during operation in a timely manner and that can results in the machinery not being repaired timely for student’s practice sessions. Thus, it can be said that investing in conditions of quality assurance alone is insufficient. If the curriculum, equipment, quality of teachers is ameliorated independently, consequently, investment effectiveness may not be so high. According to the survey conducted by General Directorate of Vocational Training, vocational training institutions lacks a factor that plays essential role like: an environment to link all quality assurance factors, helping the school to run efficiently in alignment with target from which training quality can be heightened. That factor is the system of management and quality assurance for vocational training institutions.
Highly regard the significance of developing the system of management, administration and quality assurance in vocational training institutions. The Scheme “Developing quality assurance system” is named in the list of schemes that must be implemented according to Decision 630/QĐ-TTg dated 29 May 2012 by Prime Minister which approved the Vocational training strategy during period of 2011 – 2020. Resolution 48/2015/NĐ-CP, dated 15 May 2015 by the Government detailing several provisions of Vocational Education Law on charging state management body at central level with the responsibility of providing guidance on developing quality assurance system in vocational training institutions.
In compliance with direction by Prime Minister, in 2013, the Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs commanded the General Directorate of Vocational Training (Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency) to conduct pilot study on developing training quality assurance system at high quality vocational colleges. Funding derives from state budget (national target program on employment and vocational training), funding from schools where the pilots are conducted and funding from sponsors. Adhering to the Ministry’s principle, General Directorate of Vocational Training has mustered resources and simultaneously implemented 3 following programs:
1. Program 1: Pilot program on developing training quality assurance system at 06 vocational colleges with particularly focused investment until 2020 to transform those institutions into high quality schools with the aim of building framework model Quality assurance system of vocational training that suits actual context of vocational training in Vietnam and conduct pilot application of framework model Quality assurance system of vocational training into developing quality assurance system of vocational training at project schools, complete framework model for application to other vocational colleges in the list of schools with particularly-focused investment with the goal of transferring into high quality vocational schools. The program started in 2014 and finished in 12/2015. Funding came from 2 sources: national target program of vocational training and funding from the schools participating in the program.
2. Program 2: Program of cooperation with British Council – United Kingdom in building and developing training quality assurance system at a number of vocational colleges with particularly-focused investment with the objective of transforming into high quality schools, at the same time enhancing capacity for Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency and beneficiary schools in the program. Beneficiaries of the program include Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency, General Directorate of Vocational Training and 09 vocational colleges (4 of which participates in Program 1). Cooperation takes form of 3 school-level cooperations (01 school from United Kingdom will directly cooperate and transfer tools to 03 schools in Vietnam) and provision of training for managerial staff of General Directorate of Vocational Training in United Kingdom, of the schools participating in the program and staff, teachers who directly involve in designing and operating management system of the schools. The program started being implemented in 1/2015, first phase of the cooperation is expected to end in 5/2016.
3. Program 3: Program of cooperation with German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) in transferring quality assurance tools to integrate into the development of quality assurance system at 08 vocational colleges (of which 06 schools are beneficiaries of Program 1). The objective of this program is transferring 03 quality assurance tools that are developed within the framework of activities within “Program on innovation of vocational training in Vietnam”, including: tracking study, enterprise survey; management of practice workshop for the schools in the program, applying quality assurance tools that have been transferred. The program started in 6/2015, first phase of the program is expected to finish in 9/2016.
It can be said that General Directorate of Vocational Training has fervently, actively cooperated with organizations within and outside the country to focus on study and conduct pilot application of the system of management and quality assurance into a small number of high quality schools. From which, more focus will be directed toward developing documents providing guidance on this content for the sector (Circular on this matter is expected for issuance in early 2016).
However, abovementioned programs are challenging due to content requiring the change of perception of management, procedure and means of management of the schools and especially when considering that the schools are diverse in terms of ownership, organizational structure, scope of activities. Therefore, success of the program requires a closer attention, direction from school’s ownership body, from General Directorate of Vocational Training and especially from school leaders involving in the program, not only fervent direction in incorporating new regulations, new managerial process into management, but planning of adequate resources for effective development and operation also needs to be ensured.
 

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