2012年-世界发展银行全球_Vietnam_Workforce_Development___SABER_Country_Report_2012_61页_2mb

Summary of Vietnam's Workforce Development (SABER Country Report, 2012)

Core Content

This report provides an assessment of Vietnam's workforce development (WfD) system using the SABER-WfD diagnostic tool. The system is classified at the "emerging" level across all three functional dimensions: Strategic Framework, System Oversight, and Service Delivery. While there is strong political commitment to aligning workforce development with national economic priorities, the system's capacity to deliver results remains limited.

Main Points

Strategic Framework

• Assessment: Emerging
• Key Findings:
  • Vietnam's leaders are strongly committed to enhancing skills as part of its economic development strategy.
  • The government has developed explicit policies and strategies, including the Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategy (2011–2020) and the Vocational Training Development (VTD) Strategy (2011–2020), with specific targets and operational plans.
  • However, many new initiatives are at an initial stage of implementation and lack in-depth analysis and support.

System Oversight

• Assessment: Emerging
• Key Findings:
  • There are limited mechanisms to ensure quality of training programs.
  • Funding for vocational training is not based on explicit criteria or performance indicators.
  • Partnerships between WfD authorities and stakeholders are ad-hoc.
  • Training providers lack incentives to seek and retain accreditation.
  • Occupational standards for competency-based testing and certification are still under development.

Service Delivery

• Assessment: Emerging
• Key Findings:
  • The government's policy to encourage non-state provision of vocational training has led to a significant expansion in the number and diversity of private vocational training institutions.
  • However, the quality of service provision remains low.
  • Monitoring and evaluation systems are not well developed.
  • Training institutions are not sufficiently motivated to respond to employers' demand for skills.

Key Information

Economic Context

• Vietnam has experienced rapid economic growth since 1986, with GDP growing at an average of 7.26% annually between 2000 and 2010.
• GDP per capita increased from about US$400 in 2001 to US$1,224 in 2010.
• Vietnam is now a lower middle-income country and on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
• The country has a young and large population, with 90% aged 15–64 years, and a "gold population structure" with a high proportion of working-age individuals.
• The labor force participation rate among youth (15–19 years) increased from 37.1% in 2007 to 43.8% in 2009.

Employment Trends

• Employment growth lags behind GDP growth, with an annual increase of 2.5% between 2006 and 2010.
• The majority of the labor force (71.5%) resides in rural areas, and the agricultural sector still dominates employment (average annual share of 51.4% from 2005 to 2011).
• The state sector absorbs a large portion of investment (40.2%) but contributes minimally to employment (10.9%).
• The non-state sector (domestic private) contributes to 86% of total employment, with foreign investment contributing 3.3%.

Skills Demand and Supply

• Skills shortages are a major concern, with only 15.2% of the working population (50.4 million) trained.
• Formal vocational education and training (VET) accounts for 3.7% of the working population.
• There is a gap in access to training between urban and rural areas.
• Employers report that most new workers lack the required skills, indicating a significant skills gap.
• Soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and time management are increasingly valued by employers but are not well addressed in current WfD programs.
• Vocational training institutions often lack instructional facilities, equipment, and collaboration with employers, limiting the practicality of their programs.

Training Institutions

• As of June 2011, Vietnam had:
  • 128 vocational colleges
  • 308 vocational secondary schools
  • 908 vocational training centers
  • Over 1000 other institutions providing vocational training
• The approximate number of students enrolled in vocational training has increased over the years, but the supply remains insufficient to meet demand.
• The government aims to increase the proportion of trained rural laborers to 50%.

Policy Goals and Actions

The SABER-WfD framework outlines nine policy goals and 27 policy actions. Each goal is assessed based on the composite scores derived from the data collection instrument (DCI), which evaluates the strategic framework, system oversight, and service delivery.

Policy Goals

1. Articulating a Strategic Direction for WfD

2. Prioritizing a Demand-led Approach

3. Strengthening Critical Coordination

4. Diversifying Pathways for Skills Acquisition

5. Ensuring Efficiency and Equity in Funding

6. Assuring Relevant and Reliable Standards

7. Fostering Relevance in Training Programs

8. Incentivizing Excellence in Training Provision

9. Enhancing Accountability for Results

Strategic Priorities for Improvement

• Ensure that VET reform is integral to the broader education system.
• Focus on key economic sectors with high growth potential.
• Encourage genuine partnerships between training providers and industry.
• Specify minimum accreditation standards to improve quality.
• Strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems to track performance and outcomes.

Comparative Insights

Vietnam's Strategic Framework is rated at a level comparable to Singapore and South Korea in 1970, suggesting that the country has a strong foundation for future development. However, the System Oversight and Service Delivery dimensions lag behind, indicating that while the political will is present, the system's implementation capacity is weak.

Conclusion

Vietnam's WfD system is at an emerging stage of development, with strong political commitment but limited institutional capacity to deliver results. The report emphasizes the need to integrate VET reform into the education system, target high-growth sectors, improve training quality, and enhance monitoring and evaluation to move towards a more advanced and responsive WfD system.