United States - Vietnam trained 3,000 digital technology students

January 23 2024, the United States Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s (MPI) National Innovation Center (NIC), celebrated digital workforce achievements through USAID’s Workforce for an Innovation and Start-up Ecosystem (WISE) project.

At an event in Hanoi, government and business representatives joined together to mark the end of the WISE project and highlighted shared accomplishments achieved over the past two years.

The $2.2 million USAID-funded WISE project, initiated in 2021, fostered a collaborative effort between the U.S. Mission to Vietnam and the NIC to enhance digital skillsets within Vietnam's labor market, thereby bolstering individual career growth and national competitiveness. The project's notable outcomes include:

• Partnerships and Investments: Collaborating with and investing in nine private and non-profit training institutions to deliver digital skills training to over 3,000 students and 500 teachers across more than 60 universities and colleges.
• Leveraging Private Sector Resources: Securing $1 million in additional contributions from private sector partners, demonstrating their commitment to workforce development.
• Geographical Reach: Extending digital skills training to students in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, rural regions, and the Mekong Delta, ensuring inclusivity and equitable access to opportunities.
• Women in STEM: Championing gender diversity through dedicated "Women in AI" training programs, fostering female participation in critical technology fields.
• Digital Workforce website: In collaboration with recruitment agencies Vietnamworks, TopCV, and JobHopins, establishing a comprehensive online platform providing data and resources on salaries, skills, career paths, and relevant digital skills courses.

The WISE project is one of numerous demonstrations of the enduring partnership of the United States in supporting the Government of Vietnam’s goal of moving from lower-middle-income status to upper-middle-income status by 2030. 

USAID’s WISE project was first announced by Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to Vietnam in 2021. Subsequently in 2023, President Joseph Biden committed to increasing support for Vietnam in the training and development of a high-tech workforce.

The United States is an enduring partner for Vietnam in assisting in the training of a high-quality workforce, contributing to the achievement of Vietnam’s future development goals, under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.