"Build your future with Technical and Vocational Education and Training": national campaign begins in Vientiane Capital

When students at Vientiane Secondary School arrived for their afternoon assembly on Friday 8 May 2026, they stepped into a vibrant, hands-on arena of further study and career exploration designed to change their perception of skills development, particularly Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Hosted by the Ministry of Education and Sports, Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DTVET), and with the active engagement of Pakpasak Technical College, Lao-German Technical College, Dongkhamxang Agriculture Technical College and the Polytechnic College, this was the first in a series of such events under a recently launched national inclusive TVET promotional campaign which is supported by the Skills for tourism, agriculture and forestry (STAF) programme.

Despite strong demand for skilled workers, enrolment in TVET across Lao PDR has declined in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Among secondary school students and their families, vocational training is often not favoured, despite offering an excellent route to becoming skilled professionals with strong employment potential in Lao PDR and beyond.

As a result, many employers across key sectors of the economy, such as tourism, hospitality and agriculture, regularly report skills shortages despite offering increased wages and other benefits. Instead, many young people, who would enjoy and thrive in practical, hands-on jobs with excellent promotion and career development opportunities, pursue more academic educational pathways that do not match their strengths or the needs of the labour market. Others drop out of education and take up immediate unskilled work options that offer limited longer-term prospects.

Over 100 students from years 4 and 7 attended the event at Vientiane Secondary School, bringing them face to face with TVET teachers and students, as well as successful graduates of various TVET courses. Throughout the afternoon, practical skills development was brought to life as students enthusiastically tried their hands at napkin folding and graphic design, offering a brief but engaging insight into the world of vocational learning. 

In parallel, a panel discussion titled "Real talk on vocational skills development" provided an opportunity for a frank and open question-and-answer session, tackling questions regarding incomes, career progression, and gender roles and barriers in the workplace. “TVET equipped me with the knowledge, work-ready skills and the confidence to start my own successful catering business and win a cooking competition for one of my popular dishes, ” said Mrs Kongmani PHAMMAVONGSA, owner of Khua Mae Jiab restaurant and a former Cookery and Hotel Management student at Pakpasak Technical College.

In-depth discussions continued at information booths staffed by TVET teachers and current students, where participants raised questions about scholarships, enrolment timelines, daily student life and the kinds of careers open to graduates.

These exchanges offered young people a deeper understanding of TVET opportunities, course choices and potential career paths that best suit their aspirations. For those wishing to explore their specific aptitudes, a career guidance clinic offered graphic displays of career pathways and guided access to an online career aptitude test, helping students to match their strengths and interests to vocational pathways. A multimedia exhibition offered an immersive window into learning at a vocational college, powerfully positioning TVET as something young women and men should pursue as a first choice with confidence, skill and ambition.

The immediate impact of this experiential approach was clear, as student responses on the event’s interactive perception check board demonstrated significant positive changes in their understanding of, and interest in, pursuing vocational education and training. Similar events will take place across at least nine provinces in 2026 and 2027, beginning with Bolikhamxay Province and Vientiane Province.

To support the impact and sustainability of the campaign, each event applies unified branding, key messages and promotional tools developed as part of a co-creation process involving the DTVET and twelve vocational schools and colleges across the country. It leverages insights from private sector employers, integrating local institutional understanding of youth attitudes and ambitions with employer perspectives on market relevance and skills needs. The key messages also form the backbone of online promotional activities, led by the DTVET as well as vocational schools and colleges.

The aim is to reach at least 150,000 people across the country through in-person engagement and social media promotion, building awareness of vocational education and associated employment opportunities, and increasing enrolment in TVET, particularly among young women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The six-year (2023–2028) STAF programme is co-financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the European Union, and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports together with LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.