Soon issue a set of criteria and standards for digital vocational schools

Each person does it their own way.

Currently, the digitization of lectures and integrated teaching methods on platforms are being implemented by vocational schools. Digitizing lectures, learning materials and even simulated practice modules at many vocational education institutions (VETs) has brought a certain excitement to learners. However, according to Dr. Nguyen Huu Lanh, Principal of Dak Nong Community College, digital transformation in education, especially in VETs (especially in remote areas), still faces many challenges.

“Although Dak Nong Community College was only established 5 years ago, with a strategic orientation to train key human resources for the region, associated with digital transformation. The school has invested in building and putting into use online training software; software for teaching design and simulation of automobile engines (automotive technology industry); software for teaching design and simulation of inverters (industrial electricity industry) ... to serve teaching and learning well.

The school pays special attention to digitizing, building and updating digital learning materials, building electronic lectures and exploiting learning material sources, requiring lecturers to carry out. However, due to the specific terrain and type of training, this activity is still spontaneous, not yet systematic and difficult to control quality. If these limitations and shortcomings are not resolved, they will hinder the school's digital transformation," said Dr. Nguyen Huu Lanh.

Meanwhile, according to the representative of Bac Ninh Industrial College, the school has up to 3 different management software. In particular, the input of student data is manual. This data source can be connected to the student data system from the Ministry of Education and Training. Therefore, Bac Ninh Industrial College proposed that the General Department of Vocational Education should soon issue a set of criteria and standards for digital vocational schools so that schools can orient their digital transformation plans closely. At the same time, the teacher training program, training of professional titles with the team of teachers and vocational education managers should be associated with digital transformation, allowing online training combined with direct training; it is necessary to connect in the digital transformation of enrollment work between the General Department of Vocational Education and the Ministry of Education and Training, allowing vocational schools to connect data of high school students to increase enrollment efficiency.

Also related to the issue of digital transformation in vocational education enrollment, a representative of An Giang Vocational College said: There should be a data standard soon to connect data between vocational schools with data from the General Department of Vocational Education instead of having to design a complex shared software. In addition, each school has its own training characteristics, its own industry and occupation codes, its own programs and assessment methods, making it difficult to use the same system.

Mr. Dang Minh Su, Head of the Department of Vocational Education, Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City said: In reality, vocational schools are still struggling with the issue of digital transformation, because facilities and technical infrastructure are not yet adequate; textbooks and lectures have not been digitized, and there is no shared data system.

Another difficulty in digital transformation is the limited capacity of teachers. Although leaders of many vocational schools are interested in innovating school management activities and digitizing teaching and learning activities, they do not know where to start and how to implement it when financial resources are limited and facilities and infrastructure do not allow it.

Early issuance of common standards for digital schools

According to the General Department of Vocational Education (Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), currently 42/63 provinces and cities have issued plans for digital transformation in vocational education, and many vocational education institutions have developed and issued plans for digital transformation.

In recent times, the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) has also supported the General Department of Vocational Education and Training to develop a set of criteria and standards for evaluating digital/smart colleges; at the same time, coordinated the development of a "Digital Competence" training module at intermediate and college levels with the goal of equipping learners with basic and necessary digital skills to meet job requirements in the new context.

The General Department of Vocational Education and Training also worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to launch the online learning platform congdanso.edu.vn, which has provided 22 courses (including digital skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship skills, etc.) with a total of 14,942 users, 29,417 of whom completed the courses. The platform has been promoted to workers in industrial parks and export processing zones (1,768 workers in 4 provinces) to raise awareness and support the development of basic digital skills.

Regarding the development of digital transformation skills for teachers, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs issued Circular No. 06/2022/TT-BLDTBXH regulating the training program for vocational education pedagogy and vocational education pedagogy certificates. In particular, the training program is updated and supplemented with digital teaching content in vocational education to train vocational education teachers. Vocational education institutions have updated and supplemented knowledge on digital transformation for teachers and vocational education managers through integration into training programs such as: pedagogy, state management officials on vocational education, conferences, seminars, and training.

Mr. Pham Vu Quoc Binh, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Vocational Education and Training, said: “The most important thing in recent times is that the awareness of vocational education units and localities about digital transformation has changed. Many units have been more proactive in approaching information technology in vocational training. However, the application of digital transformation among units is not uniform.

In the coming time, the General Department of Vocational Education will continue to develop and perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies to serve digital transformation in the field of vocational education. Issue standards on digital schools, digital infrastructure, digital practice rooms, digital curricula, digital training programs, application of virtual reality technology, augmented reality, mixed reality in vocational education activities; Develop documents regulating vocational education databases, ensuring data sharing connections according to regulations of the Government and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The General Department of Vocational Education aims to develop high-quality training programs, specialized occupations in information technology, digital technology to serve the development of digital government, digital economy, digital society; Upgrade the Vocational Education Data Center and technical infrastructure to meet the requirements of connection and data sharing with national data systems on employment, social security, education and training... Invest in building a digital learning materials platform for the entire vocational education sector according to the principle of combining open learning materials with building a learning materials exchange market.

Mr. Pham Vu Quoc Binh requested: "One of the things that vocational education institutions need to do right in the digital transformation process is to enter data about teachers into the vocational education database software. Schools have not focused on this work, leading to delays. The vocational education sector has 83,000 teachers nationwide. Each school has no more than 300 teachers, and data entry takes no more than 1 week. Schools should enter early to have data to plan training."