International cooperation in field of vocational training in general and development of quality assurance systems in particular are always areas that General Department of Vocational Training pays special attention to, regarding it as one of the measures to improve the efficiency, quality of vocational training, bringing Vietnam workforce to meet requirements of  labor market both for the domestic and abroad. In recent years, the General Department of Vocational Training has cooperated closely, practically with the British Council Vietnam and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in development of Vietnam quality assurance system of vocational training.

          The cooperation program has achieved initial results, as the basis for promoting cooperation deeper and wider.

Cooperation program with the British Council Vietnam: The cooperation program is divided into 02 stages, of which stage 1 was marked by event on January 28^th 2015 on signing a Memorandum of Understanding between General Department of Vocational Training and British Council Vietnam on building and development of quality assurance system in a number of vocational colleges which to be concentrated changing into  high-quality schools. Participating in stage 1 of cooperation program are 03 vocational colleges of UK (College Cymoedd; Highbury College; West College Scotland) and 09 vocational colleges of Vietnam (Hanoi Vocational College For Electro-Mechanics; Industrial Vocational College Hanoi; The Vietnam Korea Vocational College; Hue Vocational Tourism College; Nha Trang Vocational College; Da Lat Vocational Training College; Ho Chi Minh City Vocational College; Kien Giang Vocational College; Can Tho Vocational College), through 03  sub-projects, each of them includes 01 vocational college of UK  in cooperation with 03 vocational colleges of Vietnam.

          Stage 2 of the cooperation program was marked by event on March 8^th 2016 on signing an Annex of Memorandum of Understanding 02 between the General Department of Vocational Training and the British Council Vietnam on enhancing,  building and development of quality assurance system in a number of vocational colleges which to be concentrated changing into  high-quality schools. Participating in stage 2 of cooperation program are 04 vocational colleges of UK (of which 02 colleges have been participated from stage 01 are: Colege y Cymoedd; West College Scotland and 02 participating colleges  from stage 2 are: Loughborough College; Brockenhurst College) and 18 vocational colleges of Vietnam (of which 09 colleges have been participated from stage 01 as listed above and 09 participating colleges from stage 2 are: Vietnam-Korea Vocational College of Technology; Vinh Phuc Vocational  College; Yen Bai Vocational  College; College no.20 Ministry of National Defence; The Vocational College No.1 Ministry of National Defence; Haiphong Vocational College of Tourism and Services; The Center Vocational College of Transport No.1; The Center Vocational College of Transport No.3; Ba Ria – Vung Tau Vocational College).

          Through the cooperation program it has integrated quality assurance tools transferred from partnership colleges into management and quality assurance system of quality of participating colleges, makes contribution toward improving management systems and quality assurance towards approaching modern management model.

Cooperation program with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH: On June 26^th 2015 Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency authorized by the General Department of Vocational Training signed a memorandum of cooperation with GIZ TVET VN (program on  innovation of vocational training  in Vietnam) on integrating quality assurance tools that were developed within the framework of renewal program of vocational training in Vietnam into development of quality management system in a number of vocational colleges which to be concentrated changing into  high-quality schools.

Participating in cooperation program are 08 vocational colleges of Vietnam (Industrial Vocational College Hanoi; Vocational College of Agricultural Mechanics; Hue Vocational Tourism College; The Vietnam Korea Vocational College; Da Lat Vocational Training College; Ba Ria – Vung Tau Vocational College; Vocational College of Mechanics and Irrgation; LILAMA 2 Technical and Technology College). The colleges participating in the partnership program integrated quality assurance tools including: Trace Study; Enter Prose Survay and Work Shop Management; That were completely developed by GIZ. Because the sucessful cooperation, on July 15^th 2016  Vietnam Vocational Training Accreditation Agency signed agreement with GIZ - TVET VN on implementing collaborative activities of research and modification of criteria of high quality vocational colleges specified in Decision no. 761 / QD-TTg dated on  May 23^rd 2014  of the Prime Minister on approving project for high quality vocational colleges by 2020 and proposal of evaluation process, recognition of high quality vocational colleges.

Through the cooperation between VVTAA and international partner, we drew some experiences are:

Firstly: Clearly define  experience, ability, capacity of partners to determine objectives and orientations for cooperation. GIZ - TVET VN Vietnam and British Council Vietnam are organizations have extensive experience in field of quality assurance. Therefore, determining direction and content of cooperation in line with desire of  professional training institutions in the current period.

Secondly: It is necessary to have a apparently detailed plan, because one of requirements needs to do work is to have specific goals and to build a route and plan to achieve that goal. In the process of cooperation we  built a detailed plan on timing and content of work for each stage.

Thirdly: Exchange, share information clearly and promptly. Functioning as the focal point agency, fully sharing timely information and contents need carrying out is essential. Language barrier and difference in working time also affect the exchange of information. Therefore, we should always take the initiative in stating requests, contents need to cooperate as well as need guidance, exchange more from partner. To facilitate exchange of information, it is essential to build a system to exchange information, share content and  problems.

Fourth: The size and content of projects focus on supporting speciality and technique in  building quality assurance system of professional education institutions to create useful reference basis for the management work and policy development in this field.

Fifthly: Patterns of cooperation and collaboration objects must be suitable to ensure the compatibility of the cooperation process and have high ability to apply. In the program cooperating with the British Council Vietnam, cooperation model  College – College takes high effective: projects under the model of 01 college of UK cooperates with 3-4 vocational colleges of Vietnam. This cooperation model maximize the ability to exchange and share information and experiences between partner colleges. Besides, this cooperation model also creates opportunities for futher cooperation and UK partner in project or other UK colleges in other area between Vietnam colleges even if the project ends. So, in the cooperation program should perform replication of Cooperation project College – College to promote efficiency of cooperation program and the positive impact on the quality of training of professional educational institutions taking part in the project.