By Do Huu Anh, Vietnam
As Hodge (2007) mentions, the origins of competency-based training (CBT) have its societal origins in the USA in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and this vocational education theory has underpinned the National Training Framework in Australia. For me, CBT concept was acknowledged through Australia Awards Short Courses to follow the course of ‘Strengthening Vocational Education in Logistics Industry in Vietnam – Strategic Workforce Planning for TVET Leaders and Managers’, which was funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), managed by Aus4Skills and delivered by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) between May and November 2018.
I had obtained a wide scale knowledge of CBT and learned how to apply it in learning, teaching, coaching, and training. After the course, I have undertaken CBT effectively and relevantly through in cooperation with vocational schools, colleges, organizations. With support from Aus4Skills, we have reviewed syllabuses of vocational training schools and colleges in the logistics industry. VET schools and colleges have now put in practice the competency-based training and assessment (CBTA).
Between July and November 2018, I was very proud to be a teaching assistant in the ‘Competency Based Learner Guides for Logistics Training in Vietnam’ program, managed by Aus4Skills, which aimed to guide and coach 22 teachers and managers in the field of logistics to complete a ‘Learner Guide’ and a ‘Trainer – Assessor Guide’ for 3 positions in the logistics occupation:
- Pick and process orders,
- Receive and store stock,
- Follow security procedures.
The program included field visits to Seabornes – FedEx Sation, and U&I, Logistics Company, Kerry Logistics Company and CASS (Controlled Atmosphere Storage System).
CBTA has played and made a turning point in my training career. Though I am a late comer to CBTA, I have been able to help a lot of trainers and trainees in vocational education, contributing to the growth of logistics training in Vietnam. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Australian Government, DFAT, Aus4Skills, and QUT for the opportunity through which I could learn new things and in turn have made small contributions to training in the logistics industry in Vietnam.
