Vietnam, UK ink MOU on vocational education cooperation

Hanoi (VNA) - A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in vocational education between Vietnam and the UK was signed at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 5.

The signatories were Vietnamese Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, and British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward.

The MoU is expected to create a legal framework for bilateral cooperation, contributing to realising the goal of vocational education development in Vietnam, and promoting the future bilateral strategic partnership between Vietnam and the UK.

Under the document, the two sides will share professional knowledge on vocational education; support the development and implementation of sustainable vocational education policies; and share experience on improving the quality of vocational education, and increasing the involvement of businesses to ensure the supply and demand in this field.

The contents of the MOU are in line with the implementation of the Vietnam vocational education development strategy in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045.

At the signing ceremony (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Dung valued the UK’s support for Vietnam in the past time, especially that in the field of vocational training through the British Council.

The UK has provided Vietnam with short courses to improve teachers’ English ability, developed a quality assurance system for 21 colleges, and boosted cooperation between Vietnamese and UK education establishments, he said.

Vietnam is currently home to 1,929 vocational training centres, thus the agreement will open a new chapter in the vocational training between the two countries, he highlighted, asking competent sides to discuss measures toward smooth coordination.

Meanwhile, British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward congratulated Vietnam on his sound vocational training system, expressing his belief that the MoU will create opportunities for both sides to boost collaboration to improve the vocational training in Vietnam, helping Vietnamese students  better engage in the international labour market.

In the framework of the signing ceremony, Minister Dung had a working session with UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Vietnam Graham Stuart, during which the Vietnamese official spoke highly of the support from the UK in recent years, especially in the field of vocational education through the British Council.

The two sides also shared information on cooperation activities related to supporting victims of human trafficking, and caring for and protecting children. They agreed to step up cooperation in vocational training in order to help Vietnam improve the quality of its human resources in the future.

Three years ago, both sides inked a MoU on educational training to promote educational cooperation in higher education, English training, educational technology, international education and preschool education.

Accordingly, the British Government supported its higher education institutions in expanding partnerships with Vietnamese partners. The agreement serves to implement associate programmes for higher education and postgraduate education on the basis of academic principles prescribed by the two sides.

Involved parties worked closely through regular strategic dialogues to improve English standards in Vietnam.

The British Government assisted its Vietnamese counterpart in developing educational technology policies; and in applying technology to solve difficulties and challenges in teaching and learning in Vietnamese schools.

It deployed its commitments through the Department for Education, administrative management agencies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as businesses, industrial groups and other related parties in the field of educational technology.

Besides, it worked with British private schools and investors to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in establishing schools applying a UK-styled curriculum in Vietnam in accordance with the Vietnamese law. They also cooperated with British preschool education providers to share experience in preschool education policy and preschool teacher training programmes.

In January 2019, Phung Xuan Nha, who was then the Minister of Education and Training, paid a working visit the UK. Thirty cooperation agreements signed during the visit between education establishments and enterprises of the two sides have been effectively implemented./.