Vocational Education and Training in Vietnam

This chapter presents an account of Vietnam’s vocational education and training (VET) sector. Against a background of rapid economic development and to provide access to emerging global trends in trade and production, Vietnam has committed to various significant international trade agreements. These include the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The buzzword of the 4th industrial revolution, referring to the integration of artificial intelligence in production and business management, has become indispensable in national political rhetoric. However, Vietnam’s labor force suffers from lagging productivity and a skills mismatch. These conditions undermine the country’s ability to compete globally. They are also constraining Vietnam’s expected fast economic development. Analysts have described the labor supply problems in Vietnam by using terms such as “a structural imbalance in Vietnam’s workforce” and “surplus in numbers, weak in quality.” Against this background, the VET sector must become better at meeting the needs of the labor market. The chapter describes how national quality control and accreditation measures are being utilized to improve quality in VET provision at the national and institutional levels. It also reports on trends and challenges. It concludes by discussing emerging issues likely to affect the future of the VET sector in Vietnam.