This article is part one of a two-part series on the conclusion of the Vietnamese Skills for Employment Project (VSEP). The first of the two articles focuses how the project benefits the Niagara College community and the second focuses on the project’s impact in Vietnam.
“Celebrating success, sharing experiences, and planning for the future,” were the themes of the Vietnamese government’s Vietnamese Skills for Employment Project (VSEP) closing event that took place in November.
As this five-year project is now officially complete, NC’s Global Education and Partnerships and administration teams would like to thank the many NC staff and faculty who contributed their time and expertise to support NC’s partners in Vietnam. With their support, the College was able to positively impact many lives and contribute to what will continue to have an impact on youth employment and sustainable economies in Vietnam for years to come.
“We are proud of the partnerships developed throughout this project and we hope our relationships in Vietnam will continue to grow in the years ahead,” shared NC’s director of Global Education and Partnerships, Justin Williams. “This project not only positively enriched communities in Vietnam, but also here at Niagara College through the lessons learned and intercultural competencies developed by the many NC staff and faculty who contributed to this project.”
The project’s aim to provide institutional strengthening was made possible by NC’s commitment to long-term relationships which allowed for a holistic approach to capacity building and supported system-wide education reform.
As part of VSEP, the College provided technical training to Vinh Long Community College (VLCC), developing curriculum for a food technology program to overcome post-harvest production challenges. “Technical and vocational education and training forms the backbone of strong economies, but requires constant reflection and upgrading; when I was preparing materials for teaching VSEP programs, I was taking that time to upgrade with our own Niagara team,” shared Canadian Food and Wine Institute’s Culinary Innovation and Food Technology professor and program coordinator, Amy Proulx, PhD, who ran a series of workshops for NC’s VLCC partners and performed the Labour Market Needs Assessment study.
“Bilateral partnerships such as VSEP allow for building of strong relationships,” said Proulx. “Vietnam is a rapidly growing economy, with very ambitious post-secondary education strategies. I am proud that Niagara College has put its unique approach to teaching and learning into the growth model for Vietnam. NC’s unique entrepreneurial mindset and strong industry relationships were fundamental to our strategy working with our Vietnamese partners.”
Proulx worked collaboratively with teachers and technicians developing and training in several areas including teaching and evaluating performance-based learning outcomes, evaluating essential employability skills as well as the design of laboratory manuals. “I was able to strengthen industry relationships to reinforce the great food science education practices that we have developed at Niagara College, and share these practices with Vinh Long Community College,” she said. “My involvement in VSEP also caused me to increase my own reflective practice on teaching and education management strategy back home in my own programming. I also fell in love with the country and the food, and was really delighted to meet so many wonderful members of the education community who I now consider friends.”
Through the VSEP, NC supported the implementation of the TCAM project and helped develop college rector and vice rector (president and vice president) level training for the Vietnam college system. Engaging many NC experts across various sectors within the College, NC collaborated with TCAM to develop curriculum customized to Vietnam’s higher education sector and to provide advanced management training to participants from more than 150 colleges in Vietnam.
NC’s director of Marketing and Recruitment, Dorita Pentesco, worked collaboratively with NC faculty and staff, as well as members from the international development firm, Agriteam Canada, to deliver capacity training on College brand management, as well as marketing and recruitment strategies.
“I shared marketing theory, how it would apply in a college setting and also discussed how Niagara College has evolved and grown its marketing and recruitment strategies in a constantly changing market,” said Pentesco. “I was also able to review the marketing and recruitment practices used by the College in Vietnam and provided guidance on how they might be able to improve and meet their own challenges… In keeping in touch with many of the people that I met with in Vietnam, I have seen them adopt many of the strategies and improvements that we discussed.”
She added how the project led to an opportunity to experience Vietnam first-hand: “I had never been to any Asian country and being able to not only experience the country and culture, but to also work in it, was an opportunity that I’m very grateful for.”
Pentesco explained how the global experience impacted her both professionally and personally. “Since I was asked to share information on how colleges in Vietnam could improve their marketing and recruitment practices, it caused me to reflect on how our own marketing and recruitment practices have evolved over the years and what elements make it most successful,” she explained. “Stepping back and reflecting on our own work then led to new ideas for what we here at NC could do next.”
More information on Global Education and Partnerships, along with the Global Opportunity – Expression of Interest online form, can be found at ncglobal.ca/getinvolved/.
