Boeing funds aviation skills training for at least 400 Vietnamese vocational students

The Boeing-funded project, aimed at developing Vietnam’s future aviation technical workforce, was launched by Kenan Foundation Asia, a Thailand-based nonprofit organization focused on education and workforce development, in coordination with the department.

The project will be implemented at Ly Thai To College and Bac Ha College of Technology.

The first phase in 2026 will train 15 core instructors, with the project targeting a total of 45 instructors.

The training will cover technical skills, soft skills, digital skills and artificial intelligence, green skills, and occupational safety, health and environmental standards for aviation engineering and business fields, the organizers said.

After completing the training, the instructors will pass on their knowledge and skills to at least 400 students, according to the department.

The project also aims to incorporate companies’ practical requirements into vocational training programs and strengthen connections between vocational schools and businesses.

From Bac Ninh, the project is expected to expand to other cities and provinces across Vietnam.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Doan Xuan Thanh, deputy director of the department, said the aviation industry requires high levels of professional expertise, precision, discipline and, in particular, a strong safety culture.

Aviation workers also need to be able to work with new technologies, possess digital skills and adaptability, and strictly comply with occupational safety, health and environmental standards, Thanh said.

He noted that the project’s approach of strengthening instructors’ capacity, incorporating companies’ practical requirements into training and developing programs that meet business needs would help improve vocational education and connections between schools and businesses.

After the project ends, participating colleges are expected to have instructors capable of updating and transferring knowledge, technology and occupational standards to students, Thanh said.

Students will also have early access to knowledge, technology and professional standards, as well as employment opportunities in the aviation sector, he added.

The project comes as Bac Ninh is building Gia Binh Airport.

Thanh said the airport and supporting industries would create demand for technical workers in the locality.

Travis Sullivan, Boeing’s President for Southeast Asia, said Boeing had decided to expand its support to Vietnam’s vocational education system.

Vietnam’s aviation industry is seeing significant growth opportunities, driving increasing demand for highly skilled technicians, Sullivan said, adding that investing in vocational college students is part of Boeing’s long-term support for Vietnam’s aviation industry.

The project builds on Boeing’s previous support for STEM education in Vietnam, which has been implemented by Kenan Foundation Asia in coordination with the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training since 2018.

The earlier program gave 46,927 secondary students access to STEM learning activities.