New momentum for workforce training
On the sidelines of the recent ABAC III meeting, many foreign investors and enterprises expressed their desire to cooperate with Hai Phong city in workforce training, particularly in high technology, clean energy, and logistics.
Great potential
Hai Phong city boasts a well-developed and synchronized transportation infrastructure and rapidly and modernly developing industry, creating an attractive investment environment that continues to draw large-scale foreign direct investment (FDI) projects.
The city is now home to 1,730 FDI projects from 44 countries and territories, with a total registered capital of nearly 50 billion USD.
According to Gao Hang, President of the China Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Promotion Association, many Chinese business delegations have visited Hai Phong to explore the local investment environment and propose cooperation initiatives. They hope to promote workforce training to support smart supply chain development, logistics center construction, high-tech manufacturing, supporting industries, etc.
Cooperation on workforce training for high-quality human resources was also a key topic during recent meetings between Hai Phong authorities and diplomatic missions and business representatives from Germany, South Korea, Japan, and other countries in July.
According to the city Department of Education and Training, after the merger of Hai Duong province and Hai Phong city, the new city now hosts over 1,600 general education institutions, 77 vocational education centers, and eight universities.
Over the past time, high-quality workforce training has gained attention at all levels, from general education to vocational training and higher education.
The city has schools for the gifted, institutions offering high-quality programs, talented engineering and bachelor training courses, and numerous international training and cooperation programs.
Several local universities and vocational schools have successfully implemented international training partnerships. For example, the Maritime and Waterway College No. 1 was selected by the Aus4Skills Program to pilot forklift operation modules, and Hai Phong Tourism College has received Dutch PUM experts to transfer baking technology to its Culinary Arts and Hospitality Faculty officials and lecturers.
In western Hai Phong, various colleges have also formed partnerships, including Hai Duong Central College of Pharmacy with the Republic Polytechnic of Singapore, the College of Construction Mechanics with the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (a Philippine NGO), and the Waterway Transport College No. 1 with the Dutch NGO PUM.
Swift and synchronized implementation
To implement the project “Reforming and enhancing vocational education quality in Hai Phong through 2030, with a vision to 2045,” local vocational and higher education institutions in the city have quickly launched new faculties and training programs while promoting international linkages. These moves are seen as essential to advancing workforce development, especially in skilled labor, and supporting the city’s three key economic pillars: high-tech industry, seaport-logistics, and tourism-commerce.
At the end of May 2025, Hai Phong College of Fisheries and Food Technology held a career orientation seminar and signed a cooperation agreement with Kyungmin University (South Korea).
According to the college’s rector Trinh Quoc Tan, the two institutions agreed to jointly implement D4-1 pre-university programs leading to majors, D2 university programs, and full-time undergraduate and associate degree programs in South Korea. These include dual-degree programs, student and faculty exchanges, and a range of study and job opportunities in South Korea for the college’s students.
Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Duong, Rector of Vietnam Maritime University, who hosted US Ambassador Marc E. Knapper during his July visit to Hai Phong, noted the long-standing cooperation between the university and US partners.
The university has offered advanced programs like “Global Studies and Maritime Affairs” and “International Business and Logistics” in partnership with California Maritime Academy, with thousands of students enrolled.
It has also conducted hundreds of exchanges through the Fulbright Program and ELIC’s volunteer teaching program, and welcomed delegations from the US Navy and Embassy while co-hosting academic conferences.
From 2024 to 2027, Hai Phong aims to train 1,000 – 1,200 specialized engineers and experts in semiconductor technology, and 3,000 – 5,000 workers with basic skills in this field.
To develop a supportive policy framework for attracting and training high-quality manpower, the city People’s Committee has tasked the Department of Home Affairs with working alongside relevant departments and advisory bodies to draft a proposal for talent recruitment and appointment. This includes mechanisms for attracting international experts and highly skilled lecturers to work in the city’s institutions, thereby meeting the demand for workforce training in key industries and occupations, serving the city's development in the coming period.
MAI LE