Push to enrol more students in vocational training amid rising trade job demand

The Technical and Vocational Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Sports hopes to enrol more students, including government employees, in vocational training programmes, in a bid to fill jobs that require practical skills.

A student learns to repair agricultural machinery at a vocational training college in Vientiane.

The department stated on its website that more than 24,000 students are expected to enroll in vocational education programmes in the 2024-2025 academic year.
To help bridge the skills gap, technical and vocational colleges are partnering with private companies to improve training and ensure that graduates are equipped with practical skills relevant to industry needs.
Young people are being encouraged to pursue hands-on training in demand fields, including general mechanical repair, factory mechanics, agricultural machinery, electrical technology, and automotive repair.
To improve the quality of teaching and learning and encourage more enrolment in vocational education courses, the Technical and Vocational Education Department has improved some courses and introduced new programmes.
Vocational training colleges currently offer 20 courses at the intermediate and higher levels.
The department has also teamed up with businesses to offer a dual cooperative training programme, which currently involves over 1,000 students.
This initiative aims to improve students’ skills in mechanical and electrical engineering by giving them practical training in real-world job situations so they gain essential hands-on experience and are better equipped to meet the needs of today’s job market jobs and raise their skill levels to international standards.
The partnership includes drawing up plans for studies at various levels, according to the needs of the Lao and foreign job markets, including training in mechanical and electrical engineering.
Efforts have also been made to improve teaching standards and the efficiency of administrators at vocational institutions across the country.
There are at least 25 vocational and technical institutions under the Ministry of Education and Sports, which offer diplomas, higher diplomas, and short-term training courses.
Most graduates are able to find work with local companies while some set up their own business.
The government is also encouraging secondary school graduates to enrol in various fields of vocational education to support Laos’ development needs.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 29, 2025)