Executive Summary
Client's Challenge
The Mekong Delta is targeting growth in real terms at US$987M from its agricultural sector over the next 10 years. The government is pursuing a three-part strategy: a focus on quality; reorganizing the supply and production system to support greater value-addition; and increasing the number of qualified professionals. The Delta has relied on traditional farming and agricultural practices, distinct from the government’s strategy. While commitment from local farmers is clear, they require considerable up-skilling to meet evolving industry needs. We identified several challenges that our strategy needed to address:
- Limited promotion of trade and investment in new plant varieties and application of hi-tech in pre-processing products.
- Underutilization of farm land for produce and soft fruit, increasing price instability in key markets and also, crop shortage.
- Insufficient pool of experts in agricultural management and technical areas to support smart, sustainable agricultural practice across Mekong and Vinh Long.
- Transactional engagement between academe and industry, missing opportunities in program design, graduate employment, local enterprise and applied research.
Our Solution
Provide a range of technical assistance and capability building services to Vinh Long Community College (VLCC) that will enable the leadership team to develop, implement and deliver food science programs that respond to market demands and as well, integrate gender, environmental and competency-based education. Our strategy revolved around four (4) value streams:
- Environmental + Social Governance: Integrating NC Global's model of accessible, entrepreneurial, gender-mainstreamed and environmentally-aware education within VLCC platforms.
- Leadership: Developing VLCC capability to implement key principles underpinning world class tertiary education institutions.
- Demand-Driven Education: Shepherding their transition to a demand-driven, industry-aligned training model that prepares learners to meet the advanced skills requirements of the Vietnamese economy.
- Driving Economic Development: Establishing a comprehensive employer and industry engagement model that includes the development and application of program advisory committees to design programs, support work-integrated learning and provide post-graduate employment for VLCC graduates.
Impact on the Client
- Infused a sustainable learner-centered college model across programs and services targeting front line service workers, academic and instructional staff as well as across the management team.
- Facilitated Canada-based immersive learning programs for education policy officers, supporting policy dialogue towards the transformation to learner-centered education services delivery.
- Built curriculum, quality assurance and applied learning capabilities and established data collection and analysis tools for our partners as part of our commitment to sustainability.