VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese Government has issued a series of conditions required to set up a foreign-invested vocational training institution in Vietnam, expected to take effect from March 20.

Computer practice hours at the secondary vocational school for ethnic minority groups of Kien Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Le Huy Hai

The conditions were itemised in Decree 15/2019/NĐ-CP, which offers detailed instructions on the implementation of the law on vocational training.

Accordingly, the investor’s project would need to be in line with the national planning of vocational training network in the country.

The investor would also need to make sure to obtain at least 1,000 sq.m of land for a basic vocational training centre; 10,000 sq.m. for a secondary-level vocational training school in urban areas or 20,000 sq.m. if the school is located in the suburbs or rural areas; 20,000 sq.m for college-level vocational training schools in urban areas, or 40,000 sq.m. outside urban areas.

The investor would also need to possess at least VND5 billion (US$216,000) in investment capital to open a vocational training centre, and VND50 billion and VND100 billion to open a secondary vocational training school and vocational college, respectively.

The planned training curricula needs to meet the requirements of Item 1, Article 34 of the Law on Vocational Training, and does not contain content that might threaten national defence and security or public interests, propagate religious ideologies or present warped views of the history and cause negative influences on Vietnamese morals, culture and customs.

The institutions would also need to make sure that its Vietnamese student body would be taught obligatory subjects as per regulations by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The Decree also specifies the conditions for the establishment of a branch or another campus of a foreign-invested secondary vocational school and college, which include a detailed project to establish said branch, with statements clarifying the necessity for such establishment; the name and scope of operation of the branch; a development plan, the planned vocational fields and subjects.

The investors who wish to establish another branch of vocational training institution would need to present a contract or agreement on the lease of infrastructure and facilities for minimum five years, with its investment capital reaching at least 25 per cent of the capital required to establish full-fledged vocational training institutions of corresponding levels mentioned above. 

Source: VNS