Berlin (VNA) - A new vocational and language training school for the Vietnamese community opened on May 27 in Berlin’s Lichtenberg district, Germany, which is home to a large Vietnamese population.
The ITW Lichtenberg campus, operated by Vietnamese investors, is the second branch of ITW Berlin, a German vocational education institution established in 1967. The new facility aims to support Vietnamese integration in Germany through language and skills training.
Attending the opening ceremony were Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh, representatives from both Vietnamese and German partner institutions, including Vietnam's National Hospital of Acupuncture and Germany's AVESTOS Group, as well as various Vietnamese associations and businesses.
ITW Berlin, now serving 250 students, was acquired in 2024 by a group of Vietnamese investors after facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school plans to expand its training programmes in 2025, including new courses in healthcare and wellness, and to cooperate with Vietnam's Nibelc Group to train 1,500 skilled workers, 500 of whom are expected to work in Germany.
Speaking at the event, ITW Berlin’s principal Prof. Dr. Frank Deubler outlined three key missions, including supporting integration through language and vocational training; connecting young Vietnamese in both countries with job opportunities; and preserving Vietnamese culture among second-generation youth in Germany.
Ambassador Vu Quang Minh highlighted vocational cooperation as a promising area in Vietnam-Germany ties, noting Germany’s projected shortfall of 7 million skilled workers by 2035. He expressed his hope for continued support from both Vietnamese and German communities to help the school achieve its goals.
Also at the event, ITW Lichtenberg signed a cooperation agreement with the Vietnam National Hospital of Acupuncture to promote training in traditional Vietnamese medicine./.
