Speaking at the opening of the Meeting, Dr. Truong Anh Dung, the General Director, said, "Vietnam has not yet controlled the pandemic and it is impossible to predict the time when VET institutions will return to normal operations. The Vietnamese government has issued a number of policies in the past few years to support teachers, students, and VET institutions; trained and retrained workers to adapt and change careers in a global context of the changing world of work; and supported training for job maintaining for workers, businesses, and employers who are facing challenges and must change production structure and technology. DVET has issued many documents, guiding the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, VET institutions to organize activities; solve difficulties and problems for VET institutions in the process of implementing training activities in the online form. In the context of the increasingly complicated COVID-19 pandemic, the theme of the Meeting is very meaningful. DVET wishes to listen to international experiences in two aspects: Firstly, policies of of other countries’ governments in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, from the Government's supportive policies for the TVET system (teachers, learners, VET institutions) to policies to support training and retraining for unemployed workers; Secondly, experiences in implementing  online enrollment and training in TVET."

Sharring  at the meeting, Dr. Juergen Hartwig - Director of the Programme “Reform of TVET in Vietnam” stated that The German government supported 4.65 million euros for educational activities in Vietnam by short-term skills training and for those who are difficult situation caused by the pandemic. The German government as well as other development partners are always ready to commit to support vocational education and training in Vietnam.

Dr. Pham Vu Quoc Binh, Deputy Director General, presented about Vietnam's policies for people affected by the pandemic. Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Vietnam is undergoing great digital transformation and application of 3 on-the-spot measure in training. In order to implement training, it is necessary to support the development of  a data system to be applied in teaching and training, connect VET institutions with domestic and foreign enterprises provide internship opportunities and job opportunities for students, support with vocational scholarships for institutions in areas severely affected by the pandemic.

“The whole of Southeast Asia is being affected greatly, many countries are in lockdown, the economy is shrinking and the global supply chain is reduced. In Vietnam, education is the key to a successful job, but with 85 percent of non-agricultural employees being untrained, the pandemic has had a significant impact. This is an opportunity to provide workers with the knowledge and skills required to get a successful job. Because Vietnam is affected later than the rest of the world, it has the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. Other countries offer a variety of good options, such as assisting students to avoid dropping out and supporting unemployed people to enroll in skill-enhancing courses. This is 'Opportunities and challenges for TVET in Vietnam'," said Ms. Barcucci Valentina, representative of the ILO.

Mr. Ingo Imhoff emphasized, “To help TVET institutions maintain operation during the pandemic, it is necessary to give TVET institutions more autonomy rights according to current and local needs, strengthen the management system of TVET institutions , and support the infrastructure for online teaching; foster skills in using digital devices for teachers to implement distance teaching, and exploit online platforms to help teachers better provide online lessons

Participants also discussed and exchanged on how TVET should adapt to the new context of  Covid-19 pandemic during the meeting. When the epidemic first arose, VET institutions were perplexed, but they saw potentials  to convert adversity into opportunity. Currently, the TVET system has gradually approached and promoted the use of information technology in management, administration, and teaching and learning activities.

 Speaking at the end of the webinar, Dr. Truong Anh Dung affirmed that the information and lessons learned from this meeting would provide recommendations for Vietnam to supplement and perfect its policies and solutions to overcome difficulties that the Vietnamese TVET system is facing now and in the future. It can be seen that digital transformation is inevitable. On the other hand, the COVID-19 epidemic is hastening digital transformation, especially in TVET sector. Obviously, a digital transformation scheme, as well as a more comprehensive and basic plan, are required. However , inputs and comments from experts, TVET institutions, and teachers on the scheme will be taken into account before adopting and implementing this scheme.

DVET Office