Australia accompanies Vietnam in standardizing vocational skills in logistics

Nearly 100% of logistics students involved in the project secured employment

Focusing on human resource development cooperation, since 2016, the Australian government has implemented the Aus4Skills program, with a total value of 86 million AUD, focused on building a skilled workforce to support Vietnam's socio-economic development.

One of the program’s five important components is the Partnership for Vocational Education and Training Aus4Skills VET Project. Specifically, the project supports the refinement of vocational education and training VET policies through the application of a high-quality, sustainable, and scalable model for skill development that involves enterprise participation.

Concurrently, the project ensures equal opportunities for all societal groups, equipping graduates from VET institutions with the competency to work in the logistics industry and related fields.

In the framework of the working visit, First Secretary Peta Donald and the Embassy delegation visited Maritime - Inland Waterway College No. 1 (MIC1) - one of 16 partner schools that have directly benefited from the Aus4Skills VET project over the years.

Sharing with the delegation, Mr. Do Van Tuan, Rector of MIC1, acknowledged the important and meaningful contribution, as well as the companionship of the Aus4Skills program in the logistics training curriculum. According to him, the cooperation activities with Aus4Skills have brought about profound and foundational changes to the school's teaching program.

This is not merely a project offering financial support, but a deep cooperative program. Building an effective network connection with the business community is a valuable asset for the College to inherit and promote. We are committed to continuing to replicate the CBTA program, spreading knowledge to other training institutions; while also being a reliable partner and a dear friend of the Program, as well as the Australian government in the coming period, he said.

Since 2018, MIC1 became one of the first three schools in Vietnam to pilot the Competency-Based Training and Assessment CBTA model in the logistics sector, with the companionship of enterprises from curriculum development to training and evaluation.

The college has implemented 436 modules and 29 training programs updated according to Australian standards, while building a core team of lecturers aligned with CBTA standards. As a result, logistics enrollment has continuously grown, reaching 266 students in 2024, and 100% of students secured employment immediately after graduation.

MIC1 also expanded its impact by supporting technical transfer, organizing industry skills advisory councils, and promoting cooperation and outreach to 7 non-project schools. More than 15,000 students and lecturers have benefited from training sessions, workshops, field trips, and experiences supported by Aus4Skills.

The success of the pilot projects laid the foundation for the investment and operation of the MIC1 Logistics Center, a practical training facility highly evaluated by international partners.

Reducing human resource training time by 2-5 months

According to Mr. Quach Minh Dung, Head of Supply Chain Management Department (Bee Logistics Corporation), the reason this program achieves high effectiveness is that Aus4Skills' training criteria are always geared towards the actual requirements of enterprises, instead of being based solely on the school's traditional curriculum. This model helps to tailor the training for the Logistics sector. He personally participated with the lecturers in writing textbooks, training, and examining and evaluating students in the exams.

"Students who graduate meet about over 80% of the job requirements. This is reflected in a specific figure: if previously, enterprises had to spend 3-6 months to train a new employee, with graduates from this program, the training time is reduced to just over one month.

Saving these approximately two months of training is not just about cost savings; more importantly, it allows us to immediately deploy the workforce into production, timely meeting business opportunities. This is the biggest value that the Aus4Skills program brings, especially in the context where Hai Phong is suffering from a severe shortage of high-quality Logistics human resources (estimated shortage of over 30,000 workers). In the long term, the logistics sector will have no endpoint; the two major trends that need to be updated in the curriculum are Digitalization and Greenification to continue maintaining competitiveness," he stated.

To make the cooperation activities effective, MIC1 has collaborated with many enterprises in the logistics industry to jointly build a practical training framework that aligns with the enterprises' expectations regarding the skills and knowledge students need to work effectively.

Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Anh, Director of Green Port Single Member Company Limited, said: With major partners around the world, Green Port regularly gains access to vast and up-to-date knowledge. As soon as this knowledge becomes available, the company shares it with the college, providing students with knowledge that is globally relevant. Students are trained according to what the enterprises need, not just based on the school's curriculum. In cases where immediate recruitment is necessary, the students can start working right away.

Meanwhile, Minh Giang International Import-Export Company Limited provides yards, vehicles, and equipment such as imported standard forklifts, helping lecturers, students, and enterprises operate, train, and practice together right at the Company. This training program takes place over more than three months, with classes alternating between theory, practical models, and actual operation at Minh Giang's warehouse.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Gillian Bird expressed pride in sharing a world-leading vocational education and training system with Vietnam, contributing to boosting economic growth.

"For example, in the logistics sector, companies are operating more efficiently thanks to accessing more graduates who have been practically trained and are highly adaptable to the job. Through the Aus4Skills program, we are delighted to see that over half of the logistics students at some partner schools are female, supporting Vietnam in building a more inclusive workforce for the future, thereby contributing to increased productivity," the Ambassador shared.