The vocational training system of Norway is quite comprehensive and has few shortcomings, thanks to its combining vocational training and universal education. The harmonious and scientific combination has brought trainees opportunities to study at higher levels and raise their skills. This is really a practical and successful training model which Vietnamese partners should follow.
In a bid to reach the target of increasing the rate of trained labourers to 50 per cent in 2020 from 26 per cent in 2010, and to meet the development and integration requirements, Vietnamese enterprises expect to boost international cooperation in vocational training, particularly with Norwegian partners.
Norway is considered to have advanced models of vocational training and is very experienced in managing the system of vocational training. For that reason, the quality of vocational training in the nation has increased continuously over the past years, meeting the demand for development and integration. Especially, Norway’s human resources play an important role in its economy, contributing about 75 per cent of GDP. Being aware of the importance of vocational training and role of human resource in economic development, since 1994 the Norwegian government has actively made reforms in education and training. The move has strongly effected the country’s socio-economic development. For vocational training, the cooperation among the parties (enterprise, labour and school) is close. The government supports EUR12,000 for two years of training in enterprises, while enterprises donate 40 per cent of basic salary in the first working year and 60 percent in the second year.
At a conference, “Boosting vocational training in Vietnam via public-private cooperation,” held recently in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Kurt Nilsen, a senior expert of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, talked with Vietnamese partners about his country’s advanced vocational training model. He said Norway is applying the 2+2 model, referring to two years in school and two years of apprenticeship in enterprise. However, the apprenticeship is not imperative in the two final years, but may be flexibly applied during the four year process. In addition, based on the general model, Norwegian vocational training organizations have created other highly effective models such as the 1+3 model (one year in school and three years apprenticeship in enterprise); the 0+4 model (all four years of apprenticeship). The models have showed their positive effects in the country.
In Norway, people who choose apprenticeship will sign a contract with a company authorized in the training field. During the two year period, the trainee will follow a specific sector and the company must ensure the principles as follows: nominating skilled workers to instruct the trainee in the first year; in the second year gradually reducing instruction and encouraging the trainee to study by themselves. The trainee will be paid apprenticeship salary in the two years. After finishing their study, the trainee will be granted a certificate and can start looking for a suitable job. According to the statistics, nearly 90 per cent of Norwegian youngsters register for apprenticeship in Secondary School as they are 15 or 16 years old. After apprenticeship, they can continue on to university (they will study subjects such as mathematics, physics and geography). Currently, many Norwegian pupils want to leave school and find a job instead. However, the government only financially supports vocational training for five years. After that, they will have to support themselves. The method has encouraged youngsters to follow vocational training in school, creating a large number of skilled labourers for Norway.
The key here is almost all vocational training schools in Norway have close relationships with relevant agencies, particularly the cooperation between employer, trade union and education agency from national to local level. In terms of curriculum, the training content will be composed by the national three-side organization on the basis of building common knowledge on reading, writing, doing sums, science, foreign language and practical skills. The training curriculum content is mostly built on former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland’s philosophy “The common purpose of all education and vocational training systems is to provide comprehensive knowledge of theory and practice in order to help learners apply them in life.” With high quality and effectiveness, Norway’s vocational training model is appreciated by partners and enterprises. In the context of the current thirst for labourers, employers in the country also pay special attention to apprenticeship and always give the most favourable conditions to trainees.
If the advanced model is expanded in Vietnam, it surely will attract a large number of youngsters. Relying on that, apprenticeship quality in Vietnam will be significantly improved.
Vietnamese
