Law on Vocational Education 2025, No. 124/2025/QH15

LAW

On Vocational Education^[1]

Pursuant to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which has a number of articles amended and supplemented under Resolution No. 203/2025/QH15;

The National Assembly hereby promulgates the Law on Vocational Education.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Law prescribes vocational education activities in the national education system; the organisation and operation of vocational education institutions; the powers and responsibilities of organisations and individuals engaged in vocational education activities; and the state management of vocational education.

Article 2. Subjects of application

1. This Law applies to vocational education institutions and related agencies, organisations and individuals.

2. Institutions conducting vocational education shall apply this Law within the scope of their vocational education activities.

Article 3. Interpretation of terms

In this Law, the terms below are construed as follows:

1. Vocational education activities means activities of formulating and developing training programmes; quality assurance; student enrolment and organisation of training; application of science, technology and innovation; quality assessment and accreditation; and cooperation and investment in vocational education.

2. Specialised database on vocational education means a component of the national database on education and training, consisting of a collection of electronic data on vocational education arranged and organised to enable the access, exploitation, sharing, management and updating of information on the organisation, operations, results and quality assurance conditions, of vocational education institutions.

Article 4. Principles of vocational education activities

1. To comply with the Constitution and law.

2. To ensure the realisation of goals for developing a highly skilled labour force associated with requirements for socio-economic development, construction and safeguarding of the Fatherland, and national security assurance.

3. To link training to employment requirements and the labour market.

4. To ensure full and comprehensive autonomy for vocational education institutions, regardless of their level of financial autonomy, associated with accountability; to ensure the effect of state management, examination and supervision by competent agencies.

5. To ensure quality, efficiency, fairness and equality in access to vocational education and international cooperation; to promote lifelong learning.

Article 5. The State's policies on vocational education development

1. To develop the vocational education system in the line of openness, flexibility, diversity and transferability, ensuring standardisation, modernisation, socialisation and international integration; to focus on high-quality vocational education.

2. The State shall play a leading role in vocational education development, setting strategic orientations, facilitating development, and ensuring resources for vocational education to play a key role in developing a high-skilled labour force, and promoting effective coordination among vocational education institutions, enterprises and the society.

3. To prioritise investment in vocational education in socio-economic development and human resource development plans. The budget for vocational education shall be prioritised within the total state budget expenditure for education and training for the following tasks:

a/ Standardising vocational education institutions; modernising a number of key and high-quality colleges to meet international standards in line with the development orientations of priority sectors and occupations in major economic centres;

b/ Training highly skilled personnel in engineering and technology disciplines and occupations; national key disciplines and occupations; and disciplines and occupations up to advanced levels in the region and the world; and for national strategic and key programmes and projects;

c/ To develop vocational education in areas with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions, ethnic minority, mountainous and border areas and islands, and coastal areas.

4. To place orders or assign tasks for training to vocational education institutions based on learning outcomes, regardless of their forms of ownership, with a focus on specific disciplines and occupations; disciplines and occupations of spearhead industries and disciplines and occupations which are in demand but the training of which is difficult to be socialised.

5. To encourage vocational education institutions to conduct scientific research, technological application and innovation; to combine training activities with scientific research, and production, business and service activities; to adopt preferential mechanisms to attract and employ talents, experts and scientists at home and abroad to participate in vocational education activities.

6. To strengthen public-private partnership in vocational education. To encourage enterprises, socio-political organisations, social organisations, socio-professional organisations, domestic and overseas organisations and individuals and overseas Vietnamese to establish vocational education institutions and participate in vocational education activities.

Article 6. Training programmes, training objectives, diplomas and certificates

1. Training programmes in vocational education include college-level and intermediate-level training programmes, vocational secondary education programmes, elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes.

2. Training objectives:

a/ A college-level training programme aims to equip learners with the capacity to perform and resolve complicated and unpredictable tasks of the relevant discipline or occupation; the ability to create and apply modern techniques and technologies to their job and to guide and supervise other persons in their teams to perform their jobs;

b/ An intermediate-level training programme aims to equip learners with the capacity to perform and resolve complicated and predictable tasks of the relevant discipline or occupation; the ability to apply modern techniques and technologies to their job; the ability to work independently in changing working conditions and work in a team; to guide and supervise other persons to perform pre-determined jobs;

c/ A vocational secondary education programme aims to complete general education for learners and equip them with the capacity to perform and resolve tasks under stable conditions and in familiar environments of the relevant discipline or occupation; and the ability to apply modern techniques and technologies to their jobs, and to work independently or in a team;

d/ An elementary-level training programme aims to equip learners with the capacity to perform and resolve basic and predictable tasks of an occupation; and the ability to apply techniques and technologies to their jobs;

dd/ Other vocational training programmes aim to equip learners with the capacity to perform and resolve one or several simple task(s) of an occupation.

3. Diplomas and certificates:

a/ A learner who has completed a college-level training programme and fully meets the required conditions shall be issued the college diploma by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities;

b/ A learner who has completed an intermediate-level training programme and fully meets the required conditions shall be issued the intermediate diploma by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities;

c/ A learner who has completed a vocational secondary education programme and fully meets the required conditions may take a graduation exam and, if passing the exam, shall be issued the vocational secondary diploma by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities. In case a learner does not take the graduation exam or fails the exam, he/she shall be issued a certificate of completion of the vocational secondary education programme by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities. The certificate of completion of the programme may be used to register to take exams for the vocational secondary diploma or used in specific cases as prescribed by law;

d/ A learner who has completed an elementary-level training programme and fully meets the required conditions shall be issued an elementary certificate by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities;

dd/ A learner who has completed another vocational training programme and satisfies the programme’s requirements shall be issued a training certificate by the head of the institution conducting vocational education activities.

4. The management of diplomas and certificates in vocational education must comply with the Education Law.

Article 7. Institutions conducting vocational education activities

1. Institutions conducting vocational education activities include vocational education institutions and institutions engaged in vocational education activities.

2. Vocational education institutions include colleges, intermediate schools and vocational secondary schools; have the mission of training human resources with occupational skills at various levels of vocational education to serve the country’s socio-economic development, specifically as follows:

a/ Colleges shall implement college-level training progrmmes, intermediate-level training programmes, vocational secondary education programmes, elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes;

b/ Intermediate schools shall implement intermediate-level training programmes, vocational secondary education programmes, elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes;

c/ Vocational secondary schools may take different names suitable to the fields or groups of disciplines and occupations in which they provide training; implement vocational secondary education programmes, elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes.

3. Institutions engaged in vocational education activities include vocational education centres, vocational education-continuing education centres, continuing education centres and other centres with vocational education functions (below referred to as centres), enterprises, cooperatives and higher education institutions. Institutions engaged in vocational education activities that satisfy the required conditions shall implement training programmes as follows:

a/ Centres, enterprises and cooperatives may implement elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes;

b/ Higher education institutions providing training in specific disciplines or groups of disciplines in the fields of arts and sports at undergraduate level may implement college-level and intermediate-level training programmes and vocational secondary education programmes in the same discipline or group of disciplines;

c/ Higher education institutions providing training in certain groups of disciplines of teacher training at undergraduate level may provide college-level training programmes in the same group of disciplines;

d/ Higher education institutions of the people’s armed forces may implement college-level and intermediate-level training programmes in the groups of disciplines and occupations in the fields of national defence and security;

dd/ Higher education institutions providing training at undergraduate level in groups of disciplines on the List of strategic technologies under the Prime Minister’s Decision may implement college-level training programmes in the same group of disciplines.

4. The types of vocational education institutions; the conversion and recognition of vocational education institutions; and the conditions, procedures and competence to establish or permit the establishment, to revoke decisions establishing or permitting the establishment or change of training locations, merger, division, separation or dissolution of vocational education institutions must comply with the Education Law.

5. The Government shall stipulate in detail the naming and renaming of vocational education institutions and the organisation of vocational secondary schools under different names.

Article 8. State management of vocational education

1. The Government shall perform the unified state management of vocational education.

2. The contents of state management of vocational education must comply with the Education Law and include the following:

a/ To promulgate and guide the compliance with standards of vocational education institutions and training programmes and other quality standards; to provide, and guide the implementation of, vocational education quality assurance and accreditation work;

b/ To build, manage, operate, exploit and use a unified specialised database on vocational education;

c/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with one another in, formulating, and organising the implementation of, mechanisms and policies for mobilising, managing and using resources for vocational education development;

d/ To perform other tasks and exercise other powers in the state management of vocational education as prescribed by law.

Chapter II

ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Article 9. Charters of vocational education institutions

1. The charter of vocational education institutions must contain the following principal contents:

a/ Goals and mission;

b/ Tasks and powers of vocational education institutions;

c/ Organisation of vocational education activities;

d/ Rights and obligations of educators and education administrators;

dd/ Rights and tasks of learners;

e/ Organisation and management of vocational education institutions;

g/ Finances and assets of vocational education institutions;

h/ Relations between vocational education institutions, enterprises, families and society.

2. The Minister of Education and Training shall issue general charters applicable to vocational education institutions, including the charter of colleges, the charter of intermediate schools and the charter of vocational secondary schools. Vocational education institutions shall, based on the general charters issued by the Minister of Education and Training, formulate their organisation and operation regulations and publicise them at vocational education institutions.

Article 10. Tasks and powers of vocational education institutions

1. To determine their development objectives, strategies and plans in line with the country’s socio-economic development strategy.

2. To protect lawful rights and interests of learners, lecturers, teachers, vocational instructors and related organisations and individuals in vocational education activities.

3. To organise vocational education activities and award diplomas and certificates under regulations; to organise practice sessions at enterprises for lecturers, teachers and vocational instructors to update and improve their occupational skills; to provide training and employment counselling for learners.

4. To develop and expand systems for digital diplomas, digital certificates and digital learning materials. To provide and update information in the specialised database on vocational education; to manage, exploit and use data according to regulations.

5. To carry out cooperation and investment with domestic and foreign organisations and individuals in training, scientific research and technology transfer.

6. To establish science and technology enterprises and organisations when satisfying the required conditions; to apply research and technology transfer outcomes to training, production, business and service activities according to regulations.

7. Other tasks and powers as prescribed by the Law on Education.

Article 11. Organisational structure of vocational education institutions

1. The organisational structure of a vocational education institution must consists of:

a/ Principal and vice principals;

b/ The school council, for private vocational education institutions;

c/ The science and training council;

d/ Branch campuses and other locations under the ownership of the vocational education institution, for domestic vocational education institution;

dd/ Functional divisions, faculties, departments and other units without the legal person status serving vocational education activities that are established according to regulations;

e/ Other organisations (if any) that are established according to regulations. These organisations including science and technology organisations; national defence and security education centres; public non-business units, for public vocational education institutions; and enterprises, and production, business and service establishments serving vocational education activities. 

g/Advisory councils (if any).

2. Vocational education institutions shall have organisations of the Communist Party of Vietnam, socio-political organisations, and organisations representing learners and employees in accordance with law.

Article 12. Principals

1. The principal of a vocational education institution is a legal representative who is in charge of managing and administering the operation of the vocational education institution in accordance with the Charter, the organisation and operation regulation of the vocational education institution, and other relevant laws.

2. Competence to appoint and relieve from duty principals of vocational education institutions:

a/ For public vocational education institutions, agencies managing vocational education institutions shall appoint and relieve from duty the principals;

b/ For private vocational education institutions, the school councils shall appoint and relieve from duty the principals.

3. Criteria, tasks and powers of principals; procedures and process of appointment and relief from duty of principals of vocational education institutions must comply with the Education Law.

Article 13. School councils of private vocational education institutions

1. The school council of a private vocational education institution is the governing body representing stakeholders, deciding on the development orientations, organisational structure and use of resources, and supervising the implementation of strategies and accountability of the vocational education institution.

2. School councils shall operate on the principles of collective governance, democracy and majority vote, and be accountable to law and stakeholders for their decisions and not directly manage or operate the vocational education institutions.

3. The composition of the school council of a vocational education institution must ensure representativeness and objectivity and conformity with the type of the institution, consisting of representatives of investors, the leadership of the vocational education institution, lecturers and teachers, learners, experts, scientists, education administrators, and related enterprises and production, business and service establishments.

4. Investors shall elect or nominate and relieve from duty chairpersons and members of school councils.

5. The structure and criteria on members of school councils and the tasks, powers, term of office, operating and supervision mechanisms of school councils and the relations between investors, school councils and principals must comply with regulations of the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 14. Science and training councils

1. The science and training council of a vocational education institution is an organisation with the function of advising on academic matters, training orientations, quality assurance, science and technology research and application, development of the contingent of lecturers or teachers, and cooperation with organisations and individuals at home and abroad.

2. The science and training council of a vocational education institution shall be established by the principal, work on the principles of collective governance, democracy and majority vote and be held responsible for the content of its advice.

3. The science and training council of a vocational education institution shall be composed of representatives of the leadership of the vocational education institution, lecturers or teachers, enterprises or line associations and reputable scientists and experts as decided by the principal.

4. The organisation, operation and process of establishment of the science and training council of a vocational education institution are shall be stated in the organisation and operation regulation of the institution.

Article 15. Training locations of vocational education institutions

1. Training locations of a domestic vocational education institution include:

a/ The main campus, which is the place where vocational education activities are organised and governance and management functions are performed under this Law and the Charter of the vocational education institution;

b/ The branch campus, which is the place where vocational education activities are organised and part of governance and management functions are performed as delegated or authorised by the vocational education institution in accordance with law, and which satisfies the Government-prescribed conditions for establishment, organisation and operation. Autonomous vocational education institutions shall decide on the organisational structure of their branch campuses;

c/ Other locations, which are places where the whole or part of training programmes are implemented under the management of the vocational education institution and which satisfy quality assurance conditions, including locations owned by the institution, locations under its lawful use rights, joint training locations and practice training locations.

2. Vietnam-based branch campuses of foreign vocational education institutions may be established, organised and operate in accordance with the regulations applicable to private vocational education institutions established by foreign investors and must ensure operation conditions.

3. Overseas branch campuses of Vietnamese vocational education institutions shall not belong to the organisational structure of domestic vocational education institutions as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 11 of this Law.

4. The Government shall stipulate in detail the conditions, procedures and competence to establish, license operations, halt enrolment, suspend operation and dissolve branch campuses; and specify criteria, standards and quality assurance conditions for training locations.

Article 16. Vocational education institution standards

1. Vocational education institution standards provide requirements regarding quality assurance conditions and performance indicators of vocational education institutions and shall be periodically reviewed and updated to ensure approach to and gradual integration with regional and international standards.

2. Vocational education institution standards shall serve as a basis for the planning and arrangement of the network of vocational education institutions; investment in the development of key and high-quality vocational education institutions up to international standards; the assessment and supervision of quality assurance conditions; and the exercise of accountability by vocational education institutions.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall issue vocational education institution standards, and provide guidance on the application and assessment of the level of satisfaction of such standards.

Chapter III

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

Article 17. Training programme standards

1. Training programme standards provide general requirements in the formulation and implementation of diploma-awarding training programmes, covering objectives, entry requirements, outcome standards, minimum learning volume, programme structure, teaching and assessment methods, and quality assurance conditions for the implementation of training programmes.

2. Training programme standards must ensure the following requirements:

a/ To be conformable with the objectives and specific requirements of the corresponding qualification levels in the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework;

b/ To promote the application of science and technology in the design and implementation of training programmes;

c/ To apply flexible training organisation methods to facilitate permeable and lifelong learning for learners;

d/ To periodically review and assess training quality.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall issue training programme standards; and guide, examine and supervise the implementation thereof; and assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, formulating and promulgating training programme standards for specific disciplines and occupations.

Article 18. Formulation of training programmes

1. The formulation of a training programme must satisfy the following requirements:

a/ To support learners in developing their capacity and accessing the next training level of the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework;

b/ To refer to national vocational competency standards or national occupational skills standards (if any);

c/ To ensure that the programme is periodically reviewed, updated and supplemented to suit scientific and technological developments, labour market demands, practical production and business requirements, vocational trends and learners’ capacity.

2. Vocational secondary education programmes shall integrate core knowledge of upper secondary education programmes with vocational expertise, satisfying the requirements specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Institutions conducting vocational education shall enjoy autonomy in the compilation, appraisal, selection and issuance of training programmes under the guidance of the Minister of Education and Training, ensuring satisfaction of training programme standards.

The Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Security shall promulgate national defence and security training programmes and the lists of specific disciplines and occupations in the fields of national defense and security.

4. The Minister of Education and Training shall promulgate the list of training disciplines and occupations in vocational education; the list of specific disciplines and occupations in the field of arts and sports; the list of heavy, hazardous or dangerous disciplines and occupations; the list of training disciplines and occupations that are in demand but difficult to attract learners; regulations on upper secondary education knowledge under vocational secondary education programmes; and the process of compilation, appraisal and promulgation of programmes and coursebooks for general subjects of diploma-awarding training programmes of vocational education.

Article 19. Licensing of vocational education activities

1. For diploma-awarding training programmes:

a/ Institutions conducting vocational education may only enroll and organise training after licensed for vocational education activities by competent agencies;

b/ The scope of licensing shall cover groups of disciplines and occupations, training locations and training activities in the digital space (if any);

c/ For training programmes in the groups of disciplines of teacher training, disciplines in the fields of health, law, national defence and security, the agencies competent to license vocational education activities shall, before issuing a licence, consult specialised line agencies in accordance with the decentralisation of management.

2. Certificate-awarding programmes shall not be subject to the licensing of vocational education activities.

3. The licensing of vocational education activities, suspension of enrolment, suspension of vocational education activities, and revocation of decisions licensing vocational education activities must comply with the Education Law.

Article 20. Enrolment and organisation of training

1. Institutions conducting vocational education shall register information on their training programmes in the specialised database on vocational education before conducting enrolment and organising training.

2. Institutions conducting vocational education shall enjoy autonomy in determining annual enrolment quotas and admission methods, except cases of training under the mechanism of commissioning or task assignment and the cases specified in Clause 5 of this Article.

3. Training organisation forms and methods:

a/ Training organisation forms include full-time training and continuing training;

b/ Training organisation methods include in-person training, distance training and blended training combining in-person training and distance training.

4. Accumulated learning outcomes and vocational competencies of learners shall be recognised and converted to facilitate their permeable and lifelong learning. The recognition of learning outcomes and vocational competencies shall be carried out in the following cases:

a/ Learning outcomes are accumulated from a training programme;

b/ Vocational competencies have been accumulated through occupational skills certificates or other forms suitable to contents and objectives of the corresponding modules or subjects in the training programme.

5. The Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Security shall decide on enrolment quotas and methods for institutions conducting vocational education in the fields of national defence and security. The Minister of Education and Training shall decide on enrolment quotas and methods for the groups of disciplines of teacher training and training programmes for key disciplines and occupations under the commissioning and task assignment mechanisms with the state budget funds.

6. The Minister of Education and Training shall guide Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this Article; and promulgate regulations on enrolment, training, testing, and examination and consideration for recognition of graduation for the college and intermediate levels and vocational secondary education; and specify the enrolment and organisation of training at the elementary level and other vocational training programmes.

Chapter IV

LECTURERS, TEACHERS, VOCATIONAL INSTRUCTORS AND LEARNERS

Article 21. Lecturers, teachers and vocational instructors

1. College lecturers are those who teach college-level programmes; vocational secondary teachers are those who teach vocational secondary education programmes; intermediate teachers are those who teach intermediate-level programmes; and elementary teachers are those who teach elementary-level programmes.

2. The lecturers and teachers specified in Clause 1 of this Article include permanent lecturers and teachers, concurrent permanent lecturers, contract lecturers and teachers working on a full-time basis after retirement, and visiting lecturers and teachers.

3. Concurrent permanent lecturers are public employees who are working in public non-business units (except public education institutions), possess high qualifications, special talents or aptitudes, or high occupational skills, and are commissioned by public vocational education institutions to perform teaching and research tasks as permanent lecturers.

4. Vocational instructors are other personnel as prescribed by the Education Law who perform teaching and practice instruction tasks at enterprises or cooperatives under vocational education programmes.

5. The Government shall specify criteria, employment, management and policies for concurrent permanent lecturers.

Article 22. Qualification standards applicable to lecturers and teachers and criteria of vocational instructors

1. Qualification standards applicable to lecturers and teachers are provided as follows:

a/ Possessing a bachelor’s diploma or a diploma of the equivalent or a higher level, for college lecturers, intermediate teachers and vocational secondary teachers specialised in teaching theories;

b/ Possessing a college diploma or a diploma of a higher level, for college lecturers, intermediate teachers and vocational secondary teachers specialised in teaching practice;

c/ Possessing an intermediate diploma or a diploma of a higher level, for elementary teachers.

2. College lecturers, intermediate teachers and vocational secondary teachers specialised in teaching practice and elementary teachers must, if not possessing the diplomas specified in Points b or c, Clause 1 of this Article, have vocational practice capacity suitable to their teaching levels.

3. Lecturers and teachers specified in Clause 1 of this Article must possess teacher training capacity suitable to their teaching levels if they have not graduated from teacher training disciplines.

4. College lecturers, intermediate teachers and vocational secondary teachers who teach both theories and practice must simultaneously satisfy Points a and b, Clause 1 of this Article.

5. Vocational instructors must satisfy the criteria set by the Minister of Education and Training.

6. The Minister of Education and Training shall specify bachelor’s diplomas or diplomas of equivalent or higher levels in a number of higher education training disciplines the holders of which are permitted to teach practice; pedagogic capacity and vocational practice capacity of lecturers and teachers; the pedagogic capacity upskilling programme and the framework of vocational practice capacity upskilling programmes; the assessment and recognition of pedagogic capacity and vocational practice capacity; criteria of institutions providing upskilling and assessment; the code of vocational secondary teacher training discipline; and the employment of teachers for vocational secondary education programmes.

Article 23. Rights and obligations of lecturers, teachers and vocational instructors

1. Permanent lecturers and teachers shall exercise the rights and perform the obligations prescribed by the Law on Educators and other relevant laws.

2. Concurrent permanent lecturers shall exercise the rights and perform the obligations specified by their managing units, regulations of institutions conducting vocational education where they work as lecturers, and relevant regulations.

3. Visiting lecturers and teachers and contract lecturers working on a full-time basis after retirement shall exercise the rights and perform the obligations in accordance with regulations of institutions conducting vocational education.

4. Vocational instructors shall have the rights and obligations specified by regulations of institutions conducting vocational education, enterprises or cooperatives and relevant regulations.

Article 24. Policies towards lecturers, teachers and vocational instructors

1. Permanent lecturers and teachers are entitled to general policies towards educators in accordance with the Law on Educators.

2. In addition to the policies specified in Clause 1 of this Article, the following permanent lecturers and teachers of public vocational education institutions are entitled to allowances:

a/ Lecturers and teachers teaching both theories and practice;

b/ Lecturers and teachers teaching practice in heavy, hazardous or dangerous disciplines or occupations;

c/ Lecturers and teachers holding the title of Emeritus Teacher, Emeritus Doctor, Emeritus Artist or Emeritus Artisan or higher titles; lectures and teachers possessing high vocational skills teach practice.

3. The State shall adopt policies to attract and support lecturers and teachers of disciplines and occupations that are in demand but difficult to attract learners; and specific disciplines and occupations in the fields of arts, sports and national defence and security.

4. The State shall adopt training and upskilling support policies of lecturers and teachers working in vocational education institutions for them to teach vocational secondary education programmes.

5. The State shall adopt policies to commend and honour vocational instructors who make outstanding contributions to teaching, research, practice instruction and the linkage of training with enterprises.

6. The Government shall detail Clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this Article.

Article 25. Learners

1. Learners are those who are following vocational education training programmes, including students of college-level training programmes; students who follow intermediate-level training programmes, vocational secondary education programmes and elementary-level training programmes; and learners of other vocational training programmes in institutions conducting vocational education.

2. Learners shall exercise the rights and perform the tasks prescribed by the Education Law and the following rights and tasks:

a/ To be paid remuneration when turning out or creating products at enterprises as agreed upon between institutions conducting vocational education, enterprises and learners;

b/ To participate in extracurricular activities, career orientation, job placement, scientific research, technology transfer, innovation and startup activities in vocational education.

Article 26. Policies towards learners

1. Learners are entitled to the policies prescribed in the Education Law and the following policies:

a/ Tuition fee exemption or support for learners following vocational secondary education programmes; intermediate-level or college-level training programmes in disciplines and occupations that are in demand but difficult to attract learners; specific disciplines and occupations; and a number of key industries and fields, and national defence and security;

b/ Boarding policies, for students being ethnic people of poor households and households living just above the poverty line and people with disabilities; people of the King ethnicity who are from poor households and households living just above the poverty line or people with disabilities who reside stably for a long term in areas with extreme socio-economic difficulties, ethnic minority areas, mountainous and border areas and on islands;

c/ Training expenses support, for learners who are upper secondary school graduates following intermediate-level training programmes; women and rural labourers following elementary-level training programmes or other vocational training programmes; and labourers attending training for career change.

2. The Government shall detail this Article.

Chapter V

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION

Article 27. Internal quality assurance system

1. Vocational education institutions shall build, operate and develop their internal quality assurance systems according to assessment and quality accreditation assurance standards.

2. Internal quality assurance systems must support the building of a quality culture, unceasing improvement of quality and enhancement of transparency and accountability in vocational education activities.

3. An internal quality assurance system shall consist of the following major components:  organisational structure and personnel performing quality assurance work; quality-related policies; tools for implementing quality-related policies; and a mechanism for information collection and analysis and the quality management information system.

Article 28. Standards for assessment and accreditation of vocational education quality

1. Standards for assessment and accreditation of vocational education quality shall serve as a basis for determining the degree of attainment of vocational education quality.

2. Standards for assessment and accreditation of vocational education quality include:

a/ Standards for vocational education institutions;

b/ Standards for training programmes.

3. The Minister of Education and Training shall promulgate, and guide the compliance with, standards for assessment and accreditation of vocational education quality; and recognise standards for assessment and accreditation of vocational education quality of accreditation institutions.

Article 29. Assessment of vocational education quality

1. Vocational education institutions shall conduct quality assessment in the following forms:

a/ Periodical self-assessment in order to review and improve the operational efficiency of the internal quality assurance system;

b/ Accreditation cycle-based self-assessment in order to prepare for external assessment and quality recognition in accordance with law.

2. Vocational education institution shall organise quality assessment themselves or outsource quality assessment work to suitable professional consultants.

3. Quality assessment results shall be used for quality improvement, disclosure of information, discharge of the accountability, and for the purposes of quality accreditation in accordance with regulations.

4. The Minister of Education and Training shall specify quality assessment of vocational education quality.

Article 30. Vocational education quality accreditation

1. The subjects of periodical accreditation include:

a/ Vocational education institutions;

b/ Training programmes in the fields of health and law; training programmes in groups of teacher training disciplines and occupations and training programmes in other groups of disciplines and fields as decided by the Minister of Education and Training.

2. Training institutions shall select accreditation organisations that are licensed or recognised by the Ministry of Education and Training to operate in Vietnam and shall apply assessment and accreditation standards according to the following provisions:

a/ Domestic accreditation organisations shall apply standard sets issued or recognised by the Ministry of Education and Training;

b/ Foreign accreditation organisations shall apply foreign standard sets when registering for operation in Vietnam.

3. Vocational education institutions under the Ministry of National Defence or the Ministry of Public Security and training programmes related to national defence and security are not subject to mandatory quality accreditation but shall organise education quality assurance activities under Article 27 of this Law and regulations of the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Security.

4. Accreditation institutions shall ensure professional independence and absence of conflicts of interest in education quality accreditation activities.

5. The Minister of Education and Training shall provide the accreditation of vocational education institutions and training programmes; accreditation standards; guidance on the content, procedures and cycles of quality accreditation; public disclosure of accreditation results; regulations on accreditors; the organisation and operation of accreditation organisations; and the monitoring and evaluation of accreditation organisations and appraisal of accreditation results.

Chapter VI

ROLE, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ENTERPRISES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Article 31. Role of enterprises

1. Enterprises play a particularly important role in vocational education, accompanying the State and institutions conducting vocational education in training human resources with occupational skills to meet labour market requirements.

2. Enterprises shall directly conduct or participate in vocational education activities in accordance with law.

3. Enterprises shall serve as practice and apprenticeship facilities to help learners, lecturers and teachers access practical production technologies and processes and improve their occupational skills.

Article 32. The State's policies towards enterprises

1. To encourage enterprises to cooperate with institutions conducting vocational education in science and technology research and application, innovation technology transfer, and acceleration of digital transformation and green transition in vocational education and vocational skills development.

2. To honour and commend enterprises with outstanding contributions to vocational education activities and occupational skills development.

3. To provide training expense support for enterprises in the following cases:

a/ Providing elementary-level training for vulnerable persons;

b/ Providing training in priority disciplines and occupations or disciplines and occupations that are difficult to be socialised.

4. The Government shall detail this Article.

Article 33. Rights of enterprises

1. To be entitled to the policies specified in Article 32 of this Law.

2. To establish vocational education institutions to directly train the workforce for their production, business and service activities and for the society.

3. To organise training under elementary-level training programmes and other vocational training programmes for their workers and other workers under regulations.

4. To coordinate with institutions conducting vocational education to organise training under vocational education programmes according to regulations.

5. To have expenses for their vocational training activities and vocational training for workers deducted from taxable income in accordance with the tax law.

Article 34. Responsibilities of enterprises

1. To assign experts and technical staff to participate in vocational training; to admit lecturers, teachers and learners who practice or work on apprenticeship at enterprises and organise vocational training for workers.

2. To organise training or commissioning vocational education institutions to provide training to those who are recruited to work at enterprises.

3. To fully fulfill responsibilities as agreed in joint training contracts with vocational education institutions.

4. To participate in formulation of training programmes and coursebooks; and to organise teaching, instruct apprenticeship and practice and assess learning results of learners at institutions conducting vocational education and enterprises.

5. To pay wages and remuneration to learners, lecturers and teachers who directly turn out, or participate in turning out, products during the latter’s training practice or apprenticeship at enterprises according to the agreed rates.

6. To create conditions for their workers to be trained, upskilled and have their occupational skills improved.

7. To cooperate with institutions conducting vocational education to organise training and upskilling to raise occupational skills and recognise occupational knowledge and occupational skills certificates for their workers.

8. To join vocational education institutions in providing training consultancy in enterprises’ production and business activities and in domestic and international occupational skills competitions.

9. To support reskilling and training to raise the workforce’s skills; and to coordinate with institutions conducting vocational education in organising reskilling at the enterprises to meet market requirements.

Article 35. Enterprises’ human resource training funds

1. Enterprises shall establish their human resource training funds to perform the following tasks:

a/ To provide training and develop skills for their workers;

b/ To support their workers in learning and improving their professional qualifications;

c/ To provide donations for vocational education institutions that cooperate with them in accordance with the law on enterprises and other relevant laws.

2. The Government shall specify the subjects, contribution sources and rates and expenditures of enterprises’ human resource training funds.

Chapter VII

FINANCES AND ASSETS

Article 36. Financial mechanism for vocational education

1. State budget funds for vocational education shall be allocated according to the principles prescribed in the Education Law and based on the mission and operational quality and efficiency of vocational education institutions under a unified mechanism throughout the system.

2. The state budget shall ensure or support expenses for training human resources in a number of disciplines, occupations and fields according to the following mechanisms and policies:

a/ To attract and support lecturers and teachers who train vocational talents; and learners of disciplines and occupations in the fields of arts and sports;

b/ To support training expenses for specific disciplines and occupations and disciplines and occupations that are difficult to attract learner to serve national development requirements;

c/ To grant scholarships to learners of training programmes in key technical disciplines and occupations, strategic technologies and core technologies;

d/ To commission or assign tasks for training in specific disciplines and occupations; disciplines and occupations of spearhead industries and disciplines and occupations that are in demand but difficult to be socialised.

3. The Government shall detail this Article and specify the following contents:

a/ Methods for determining tuition fees based on the principle of full recovery of costs with reasonable accumulation associated with training quality; and the maximum tuition fee rates for public vocational education institutions;

b/ Subjects, conditions and state tuition fee support levels, scholarships and preferential credits;

c/ Mechanisms for commissioning and assignment of training tasks;

d/ Preferential rates and conditions for application of credit, aid and donation policies for vocational education;

dd/ Autonomy in terms of finance, assets and investment of public higher education institutions, including the mobilisation, receipt, management and use of lawful resources at home and abroad; preferential mechanisms as prescribed by law; and responsibilities for information disclosure, transparency and accountability.

Article 37. Finances of public vocational education institutions

1. Financial sources of a public vocational education institution include:

aa/ State budget funds;

b/ Lawful funding, aid, donations and gifts from organisations and individuals at home and abroad;

c/ Revenues from training activities, scientific research and technology transfer; revenues from provision of education supporting services, production and business activities; revenues from asset leasing in accordance with the law on management and use of public assets; bank deposit interests and other lawful revenues;

d/ Lawful loans borrowed at home and abroad as prescribed by law;

dd/ Other revenue sources as prescribed by law.

2. Public vocational education institutions shall make investment development expenditures for physical facilities in accordance with the law on public investment and other relevant laws; and for the implementation of commissioned or assigned tasks as prescribed by the Government.

3. Public vocational education institutions may exercise financial autonomy and use lawful revenue sources for training, scientific research, personnel development, investment in physical facilities and other higher education activities, specifically as follows:

a/ Deciding on expenditure items and levels from the sources of tuition fees, performance of commissioned or assigned tasks and other non-business revenues, including expenditures for payment of wages, professional activities, management, and hiring of experts in line with their financial capacity and internal spending regulations;

b/ Deciding on expenditures for technology research, incubation and transfer from lawful revenues, ensuring efficiency, publicity and transparency;

c/ Distributing year-end financial results in accordance with regulations on the financial autonomy mechanism for public non-business units and public vocational education institutions.

Article 38. Financial management of private vocational education institutions

1. Private vocational education institutions may exercise financial autonomy and may themselves decide on revenue and expenditure levels, distribute financial results and establish funds in accordance with law and their organisation and operation regulations.

2. Private vocational education institutions shall fulfil their financial obligations to the State; and comply with the laws on accounting, auditing, tax, asset valuation and financial disclosure.

3. At least 25% of the annual revenue-expenditure variance from education, training, research and technology transfer activities shall be used for re-investment in development of the vocational education institutions and for fulfilment of social responsibilities. The accumulated annual revenue-expenditure variance of not-for-profit private vocational education institutions shall constitute indivisible assets of the institutions and shall be used for development investment on a non-refundable basis.

Article 39. Tuition fees and rates of service serving and supporting services for vocational education activities

1. Institutions conducting vocational education shall determine the rates of tuition fees based on the principle of full cost recovery with reasonable accumulation; the rates of tuition fees of public vocational education institutions must not exceed the maximum tuition fee rates prescribed by the Government.

2. Institutions conducting vocational education shall publicise training expenses, tuition fees, enrolment fees and other service charges for each training level, school year and the whole course; and shall deduct part of their revenues to implement tuition fee exemption, reduction or support learners facing difficulties and learners being policy beneficiaries under the State’s regulations and the institutions’ own policies.

3. The Government shall detail this Article.

Article 40. Management and use of assets of private vocational education institutions

1. Indivisible consolidated assets in a private vocational education institution:

a/ Assets determined as indivisible consolidated assets in accordance with law or at the request of donors, aid and presents are assets under the indivisible common ownership of the school community;

b/ The school council of a private vocational education institution shall manage and use the assets specified in Clause 2 of this Article for sustainable development of the private vocational education institution and for common interests; such assets may not be converted into assets under personal ownership or valuated for division in any case;

c/ In case of capital transfer, the assets specified in Clause 2 of this Article shall not be included in the value of valuated assets of the vocational education institution;

d/ In case the vocational education institution is dissolved, the assets specified in Point a of this Clause shall be transferred to a competent state agency for management and use for the vocational education development purpose.

2. For assets under private ownership of investors not falling into the case specified in Clause 1 of this Article, private vocational education institutions have the right to manage, use and dispose of such assets in accordance with relevant laws but shall ensure transparency, proper use and cause no harm to lawful rights and interests of learners and the community.

3. The ownership over assets of foreign-invested vocational education institutions shall be protected by the State in accordance with Vietnam’s law and treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party; and the management and use of such assets must comply with Vietnam’s law and relevant international commitments.

Chapter VIII

COOPERATION AND INVESTMENT IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Article 41. Training cooperation and joint training in vocational education

1. Vocational education institutions shall cooperate with education institutions, state agencies, research institutes, enterprises, socio-professional organisations, foreign organisations and technology institutions at home and abroad in implementing training activities, applying scientific research, transferring technologies, innovation, practice, apprenticeship, and developing training programmes and learning models in conformity with their functions and tasks.

2. Vocational education institutions shall implement joint training with domestic institutions conducting vocational education, foreign educational organisations and institutions and enterprises in implementing the following activities:

a/ To implement diploma- or certificate-awarding training programs;

b/ To establish faculties, centres or specialised training units.

3. Training cooperation and joint training must adhere to the principles of voluntariness, equality, respect for autonomy and accountability, and comply with Vietnam’s law and law of the partner country (if any); and ensure training quality, information transparency and the lawful rights and interests of stakeholders.

4. Vocational education institutions shall bear full responsibility before law, learners and the society for training cooperation and joint training; and shall promulgate and implement internal regulations to manage related activities.

5. The Government shall stipulate in detail the conditions, order, procedures, competence and mechanisms for examination and supervision of training cooperation and joint training with foreign partners.

6. The Minister of Education and Training shall prescribe training cooperation and joint training in the country.

Article 42. Investment in vocational education

1. Investment in vocational education must comply with the laws on investment and education and other relevant laws.

2. Investment in vocational education must comply with the following regulations:

a/ To conform with vocational education development master plans and strategies and socio-economic development orientations;

b/ To respect for the autonomy, accountability and specific operation characteristics of vocational education institutions;

c/ To assure training quality, information transparency and the lawful rights and interests of learners, investors and stakeholders;

d/ To comply with investment conditions in the field of vocational education and supervision mechanisms as prescribed by law.

3. Foreign-invested vocational education activities must comply with treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party and ensure national interests, cultural and ideological security, training quality and sustainable development.

4. The Government shall specify priority fields and forms of domestic and foreign investment in vocational education.

Chapter IX

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 43. To amend and supplement a number of articles and clauses of relevant laws

1. To amend and supplement a number of articles of Labour Code No. 45/2019/QH14, which has a number of articles amended and supplemented under Law No. 71/2025/QH15 and Law No. 113/2025/QH15, as follows:

a/ To amend and supplement Point a, Clause 2, Article 59 as follows:

“a/ Establishing vocational education institutions or organising vocational training courses at the workplace in order to train, reskill, upskill and improve occupational qualifications and skills for employees; coordinating with vocational education institutions in providing vocational secondary education programmes and elementary-level, intermediate-level and college-level training programmes under regulations;”;

b/ To amend and supplement Clause 3, Article 61 as follows:

“3. Employers that recruit apprentices or on-the-job trainees may not collect tuition fees.”

2. To add the phrase “and vocational secondary” after the phrase “intermediate-level” in Clause 1, Article 4 of Law No. 73/2025/QH15 on Educators.

Article 44. Effect

1. This Law takes effect on January 1, 2026. Law No. 74/2014/QH13 on Vocational Education, which has a number of articles amended and supplemented under Law No. 97/2015/QH13, Law No. 21/2017/QH14, Law No. 43/2019/QH14 and Law No. 84/2025/QH15 (below referred to as Law No. 74/2014/QH13 on Vocational Education), ceases to be effective on the effective date of this Law, except the provisions of Clause 2 of this Article and relevant contents in Article 45 of this Law.

2. Clauses 4 and 5, Article 24; and Articles 26, 32, 35, 36, 39 and 42, of this Law take effect on July 1, 2026.

Article 45. Transitional provisions

1. Vocational education institutions may enrol students who have completed the lower secondary education programme for intermediate-level training until December 31, 2030, except the case specified in Clause 2 of this Article.

2. Vocational education institutions shall terminate the enrolment of learners who have completed the lower secondary education programme to attend intermediate-level training in disciplines and occupations in the field of health from January 1, 2026.

3. For training courses for which the enrollment has been carried out under regulations before January 1, 2026, institutions conducting vocational education may continue to organise training and award diplomas and certificates in accordance with Law No. 74/2014/QH13 on Vocational Education until the end of such courses.

4. Higher education institutions upgraded from colleges and higher education institutions receiving merged colleges before January 1, 2026, may continue to enrol students for college-level training until December 31, 2028, for the disciplines and occupations for which the colleges were issued registration certificates of vocational education activities or certificates of additional registration of vocational education activities; and shall register information on training programmes in the specialised database on vocational education in accordance with Article 20 of this Law.

5. Learners of the intermediate level as specified in Clause 1 of this Article or learners of the vocational education level before January 1, 2026, may continue to enjoy the policies prescribed in in Law No. 74/2014/QH13 on Vocational Education until the end of their courses.

6. Institutions conducting vocational education may apply regulations on minimum knowledge volumes and capacity requirements that learners must attain after graduating from intermediate or college levels to develop training programmes until competent agencies promulgate training programme standards.

7. Vocational education institutions may conduct the teaching of upper secondary education knowledge in accordance with Education Law No. 43/2019/QH14 for courses for which the enrollment is carried out under specified in Clause 1 of this Article until such courses expire.

8. Persons who possess intermediate-level graduation diplomas but do not possess upper secondary school graduation diplomas may use the certificates of completion of the general education programme or certificates of fulfillment of the amount of knowledge required for upper secondary education to be enrolled for college-level training programmes.

9. The school councils of public vocational education institutions shall, upon the termination of their operation, hand over all relevant dossiers and documents to principals and the latter shall report to their managing agencies (or the Ministry of Education and Training for vocational education institutions without managing agencies) within 6 months, counted from January 1, 2026.

10. The boards of directors of private vocational education institutions recognised before January 1, 2026, may continue to perform their tasks and exercise their powers until investors of such institutions decide to elect or appoint chairpersons and members of the school councils in accordance with this Law. The school councils shall be established before January 1, 2027.

11. Documents issued by school councils or boards of directors of public vocational education institutions or by a member of the school council of a private vocational education institution that is the sole individual or institutional owner of the vocational education institution may continue to be applied until they are replaced or annulled by documents promulgated by competent authorities, except personnel-related decisions which must comply with Clauses 12 and 13 of this Article.

12. Principals and vice principals of public vocational education institutions appointed before January 1, 2026, shall comply with the following provisions:

a/ For cases in which definite-term recognition or appointment decisions expire on or after January 1, 2026, the principals and vice principals shall continue to perform their tasks and exercise their powers until the managing agencies issue personnel-related decisions. Within 6 months from January 1, 2026, the managing agencies shall complete the appointment of principals and vice principals of vocational education institutions in accordance with law;

b/ For cases in which definite-term recognition or appointment decisions expire before January 1, 2026, managing agencies shall proceed with the procedures for appointment of principals and vice principals in accordance with law.

13. Principals of private vocational education institutions recognised before January 1, 2026 may continue to perform their tasks and exercise their powers until the school councils of such institutions appoint principals in accordance with this Law.

14. For dossiers of request for settlement of administrative procedures that were validly submitted before January 1, 2026, and fall within the competence of agencies prescribed in Law No. 74/2014/QH13 on Vocational Education, such competent agencies shall continue to accept and process them in accordance with the law effective at the time of submission, even if the competence to settle such administrative procedures has been adjusted under this Law.

Vocational education institutions that have obtained decisions on establishment, permission for establishment, division, separation or merger of vocational education institutions or their branch campuses before January 1, 2026, shall satisfy the regulations on vocational education institution standards within 60 months from the effective date of the new legal documents.

15. Vocational education institutions that were issued registration certificates of vocational education activities or certificates of additional registration of vocational education activities or certificate of registration of joint training with foreign partners before January 1, 2026, may continue to carry out enrolment activities and organise training for the licensed disciplines and occupations and shall:

a/ Review the satisfaction of the conditions for the organisation of training according to new regulations for the licensed disciplines and occupations within 6 months from the effective date of the new legal documents;

b/ Register information on training programmes in the specialised database on vocational education in accordance with Article 20 of this Law.

This Law was passed on December 10, 2025, by the 15^th National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at its 10^th session.

Chairman of the National Assembly
TRAN THANH MAN