Vietnam needs to improve the quality and relevance of upper secondary school and technical and vocational education and training to fill the rapid growth in medium-skill employment under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The ILO/ADB report on “ASEAN Community 2015: Managing integration for better jobs and shared prosperity”, showed that structural change under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will drive heightened demand for different skills level, with medium-skill employment to increase the most, followed by low-skills jobs.

Projections indicated that between 2010 and 2025, demand overall for medium-skill employment will increase by 28%, compared to 23% in low-skill employment and 13% in high-skill jobs.

“With sound literacy basic education, Vietnam is well placed to meet the looming demand for low-skilled workers in the coming decades, but more needs to be done to prepare their workers for medium-skill employment”, said ILO Vietnam Director, Gyorgy Sziraczki.

Vietnam’s literacy rate is high, at 93%, and primary net enrolment rate is also up to 98 per cent. In the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Vietnamese 15-year-olds scored higher than the OECD average in mathematics and science, indicating strong learning outcomes through lower secondary schools.

However, when it comes to practices, a WB survey of employers in 2014 identified gaps in job-related technical skills, as well as in cognitive skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, and core skills such as teamwork and communication.

“Skills gaps and mismatches still exist between the classroom and the workplace. So bridging the gaps and addressing future demands for skills by closer education, business cooperation and business participation in the development of skills standards and training curriculum are critical.” said Director of ILO Vietnam.

With the projected expansion in the garment, construction and transportation sectors, a focus on developing specific vocational competencies along with promoting excellence in science and engineering would help Vietnam prepare its young people for the near future.