New partnership to enhance vocational education, training in Laos
VIENTIANE: Young people from ethnic communities and families of Lao Front for National Development's (LFND) staff will have greater access to free vocational and language education under new cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening human resources and promoting inclusive development.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Research and Training Centre of the Central (LFND) and the Lao School of Business and Commerce (LSBC) and the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College was signed in Vientiane last week.
The agreements outline long-term collaboration in scholarship provision, curriculum development, and skills training.
Under the MoC with LSBC, the school will offer 95 full scholarships each year for a Higher Diploma in Business Administration.
Of these, five are reserved for children of LFND central staff, while 90 are allocated to Grade 7 students from Vientiane and 17 provinces.
LSBC will waive tuition fees for all recipients during the three-year programme.
The school will also grant 100 percent tuition-free English language training to LFND employees and a 50 percent fee reduction for their spouses and children.
It will provide six-monthly and annual reports to the LFND on student performance and academic progress.
Meanwhile, the cooperation with the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College targets ethnic high school graduates, offering scholarships in Chinese-language higher education programmes.
The college will award three scholarships per year for the first five years and six per year for the following 12 years, all with full tuition exemptions.
To support this initiative, the LFND will assist in developing the college's campus in Viengkeo village, Xaythany district, coordinate with relevant authorities, and contribute political education content to the curriculum.
Two LFND staff will be assigned to the college, and scholarship recipients' progress will be monitored regularly.
Both colleges will work with the LFND to introduce short-term training courses in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for staff, students, and the public.
They also plan to carry out joint research to improve educational quality and better align with labour market needs.
The MoC with LSBC is valid from 2025 to 2030, while the agreement with the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College will run from 2025 to 2040.
These partnerships mark a significant step in expanding education opportunities and improving workforce readiness for communities across Laos. - Vientiane Times/ANN
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