CIRCULAR

PROMULGATING FRAMEWORK PROGRAMS FOR VOCATIONAL SECONDARY AND COLLEGE LEVELS FOR A NUMBER OF VOCATIONS IN VOCATIONAL GROUPS OF PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING – TECHNOLOGY – SCIENCE AND LIFE – BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT - AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND AQUACULTURE – HOSPITALITY, TOURISM, SPORTS AND PERSONAL SERVICES

Pursuant to the Law on vocational education and training dated November 29, 2006;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 186/2007/ND-CP on December 25, 2007 on defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to the Decision No. 86/2008/QD-TTg dated July 03, 2008 by the Prime Minister on defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the General Directorate of Vocational Training directly under Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 53/2011/QD-TTg dated September 27, 2011 on amendments to Article 3 of Decision No. 86/2008/QD-TTg dated July 03, 2008 by the Prime Minister on defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the General Directorate of Vocational Training directly under Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to the Decision No. 58/2008/QD-BLDTBXH dated September 06, 2008 by Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs promulgating regulations on framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels;

In consideration of the request of Director General of the General Directorate of Vocational Training;

Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs promulgates a Circular to provide for framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels for a number of vocations in vocational groups of production and processing – technology – science and life – business and management - agriculture, forestry and aquaculture – hospitality, tourism, sports and personal services.

Article 1. The following framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in the vocations: foods processing, fashion design, dredge operation, telecommunications station installation engineering, building ceramic production, road working machinery operation, foundation working machinery operation, biotechnology, oil and gas business administration, cereals and foods production, front office management (vocational college level) and front office operations (vocational secondary level) are promulgated herewith to apply to public and private vocational colleges, vocational secondary schools, universities, colleges and professional secondary schools (hereinafter referred to as vocational training institutions) that have been issued certificates of vocational training activities to train the abovementioned vocations. The application of these framework programs in foreign-invested vocational training institutions is voluntary.

1. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Foods processing” (Annex 1).

2. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Fashion design” (Annex 2).

3. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Dredge operation” (Annex 3).

4. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Telecommunications station installation engineering” (Annex 4).

5. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Building ceramic production” (Annex 5).

6. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Road working machinery operation” (Annex 6).

7. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Foundation working machinery operation” (Annex 7).

8. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Biotechnology” (Annex 8).

9. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Oil and gas business administration” (Annex 9).

10. The framework programs for vocational secondary and college levels in “Cereals and foods production” (Annex 10).

11. The framework programs for vocational college level in “Front office management” and vocational secondary level in “Front office operations” (Annex 11).

Article 2. Rectors of vocational colleges, vocational secondary schools, universities, colleges and professional secondary schools that have issued certificates of vocational training activities with respect to the vocations prescribed in Article 1 of this Circular shall, pursuant to regulations in this Circular, organize the formulation, appraisal and approval for vocational training programs of their institutions.

Article 3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, the Government’s affiliates, socio-political organizations, people’s committees of central-affiliated cities/provinces, the General Directorate of Vocational Training, vocational colleges, vocational secondary schools, universities, colleges and professional secondary schools that have been issued certificates of vocational training activities with respect to the vocations prescribed in this Circular and relevant entities shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

Article 4. This Circular takes effect as of September 11, 2012.

ANNEX 11

FRAMEWORK PROGRAMS FOR VOCATIONAL SECONDARY LEVEL IN “FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS” AND VOCATIONAL COLLEGE LEVEL IN "FRONT OFFICE MANAGEMENT"
(Enclosed to the Circular No. 16/2012/TT-BLDTBXH dated July 26, 2012 by Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs)

Annex 11A:

Framework program for vocational secondary level

Vocation: Front office operations

Code: 40810201

Training level: Vocational secondary level

Admission targets: Graduates from upper secondary schools and equivalent levels;

(Graduates from lower secondary schools must attend supplementary general education classes as provided for by the Ministry of Education and Training);

Number of training subjects/modules: 37

Award: Vocational secondary education diploma

I. TRAINING OBJECTIVES:

1. Vocational knowledge and skills:

- Knowledge:

After completing this training program, learners may:

+ State the role, position and duties of each job title in the hotel’s front office, organizational structure of the front office, relationship between the front office and other departments in the hotel, requirements to be satisfied by front office staff, activities of the front office in serving hotel’s customers;

+ State regulations on uniforms, clothing and personal make-up tips before working;

+ Enumerate and describe usage of equipment in the front office;

+ State and explain preparations before each shift;

+ State and analyze procedures for handover of shifts;

+ State methods of oral, written and telephone communication, etc.

+ Enumerate sales methods;

+ State and analyze the following operations: reservation, receipt and registration of guests, serving guest during his/her stay in the hotel, check-out and payment for each type of hotel guests;

+ State payment process with different methods of payment;
+ State and explain hotel security and safety regulations.

+ State and analyze types of sales reports.

- Skills:

After completing this training program, learners will have the following skills:
+ Comply with regulations on uniforms, clothing and personal make-up tips before working;

+ Check and use equipment in the front office in proper manner;

+ Make preparations before each shift;

+ Perform procedures for handover of shifts;

+ Communicate with domestic and international guests;

+ Apply sales methods to different types of hotel guests;

+ Perform front office operations, including: reservation, receipt and registration of guests, serving guest during his/her stay in the hotel, check-out and payment;

+ Perform payment operations

+ Comply with hotel security and safety regulations;

+ Prepare sales reports.

2. Politics, ethics; physical education and national defense education:

- Politics, ethics:

+ Enable learners to state basic knowledge of Marxism and Leninism, and Ho Chi Minh Ideology with respect to the patriotic tradition of the nation and of laboring class of Vietnam, the leadership and revolutionary policies of the Vietnam Communist Party in the process of industrialization and modernization;

+ Enable learners to express rights and obligations of a citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

+ Enable learners to exercise rights and fulfill obligations of a citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

+ Enable learners to show their awareness and know to preserve and promote traditions of laboring class; inherit and promote cultural characters of Vietnam;

+ Enhance the self-awareness of learners to improve their qualifications and fulfill assigned duties; apply acquired knowledge to training for becoming dynamic and creative employees who have professional conscience and a good sense of responsibility; have a simple and healthy lifestyle and industrial behavior.

Physical education and national defense education:

+ Enable learners to demonstrate basic knowledge and training methods in sports for protecting and improving health and physical strength to study and work well;

+ Enable learners to exercise basic skills and training methods in sports for protecting and improving their health and physical strength to study and work well;

+ Help learners to demonstrate basic knowledge in the national defense – security training program;

+ Enable learners to display basic skills in the national defense – security training program;

+ Improve learners’ awareness of disciplines and self-awareness in protecting the fatherland.

3. Career opportunities:

- Graduates from this training program may undertake different job positions such as receptionist of hotels ranked up to three stars, receptionist of company and other job positions depending on their capacity and job requirements.

II. COURSE LENGTH AND MINIMUM ACTUAL TRAINING DURATION:

1. Course length and minimum actual training duration:

- Course length: 2 years

- Study duration: 90 weeks

- Minimum actual training duration: 2550 hours

- Duration for test preparation, testing upon completion of each subject/module and graduation examination: 180 hours (including 30 hours of graduation examination).

2. Distribution of minimum actual training duration:

- Training duration for compulsory general subjects: 210 hours

- Training duration for vocational training subjects/modules: 2340 hours

+ Training duration for compulsory subjects: 1755 hours; Training duration for optional subjects: 585 hours

+ Theoretical training duration: 692 hours; Practical training duration: 1648 hours

3. Duration of supplementary general education classes for graduates from lower secondary schools:

(The list of supplementary general education subjects and distribution of training duration for each subject shall comply with regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training set forth in the framework program for professional secondary education. Arrangement of subjects to be learnt must be pedagogically logic to ensure that learners will be able to acquire job-specific knowledge and skills in an effective manner).
III. LIST OF COMPULSORY SUBJECTS/MODULES, TRAINING DURATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF TRAINING DURATION:

IV. COMPULSORY TRAINING SUBJECTS/MODULES:

(Detailed contents are specified in attached annexes)

V. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAM FOR VOCATIONAL SECONDARY LEVEL AS THE BASIS FOR DESIGNING VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS:

1. Instructions for preparing the list of optional vocational training subjects/ modules; training duration, distribution of training duration and contents of study thereof

1.1. List of optional vocational training subjects/modules and distribution of training duration thereof

1.2. Instructions for designing training programs for optional vocational training subjects/modules:

- Pursuant to Decision No. 58/2008/QD-BLDTBXH dated September 06, 2008 by Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the distribution of training duration for vocational training subjects/modules are provided for as follows:

+ Training duration for compulsory vocational training subjects/modules accounts for 70 – 80% and that for optional vocational training subjects/modules accounts for 20 - 30%;

+ Theoretical and practical training period: Theoretical training period accounts for 15 – 30%, practical period accounts for 70 - 85%;

- Apart from compulsory subjects/modules specified in Section III, vocational training institutions may design or select optional subjects/modules from the referred list in the framework program in section V, subsection 1.1.;

- The training duration for optional subjects/modules must be designed so as to ensure that the sum of training duration for optional subjects/modules and that for compulsory subjects/modules must be equal or exceed the required minimum actual training duration but not exceed the course length set forth in the training plan;

- Each vocational training institution shall design contents of optional subjects/modules and training duration thereof on the basis of training objectives and specific requirements of each vocation or region. Pursuant to regulations on the framework program, the vocational training institution’s rector shall instruct the formulation, appraisal and promulgation of detailed training program for each optional subject/module.

- E.g.: 10 out of 12 subjects/modules in the abovementioned list of optional subjects/modules may be selected to put into the training program and design detailed training program for each selected subject/module. To be specific:

(Detailed contents are specified in attached annexes)

2. Instructions for graduation examination:

3. Instructions for determining time and contents of extra-curricular activities (arranged outside of the training duration) which aim to achieve comprehensive education objectives:

- Vocational training institutions may arrange learners to visit and learn experience at some hotels, etc. in order that they can be fully aware of their selected vocation.

- Vocational training institutions may arrange learners to visit a number of historical and cultural relics or participate in local social activities for the purposes of educating them in national traditions and enhancing their cultural and social awareness.

- Time for extra-curriculum activities must be reasonably arranged outside the training duration:

4. Other remarks:

After designing or selecting optional subjects/modules, each vocational training institution may re-arrange codes of subjects/modules included in its training program for management.

Annex 11B:

Framework program for vocational college level

Vocation: Front office management

Code: 50810201

Training level: Vocational college level

Admission targets: Graduates from upper secondary schools and equivalent levels;

Number of training subjects/modules: 47

Award: Vocational college diploma

I. TRAINING OBJECTIVES:

1. Vocational knowledge and skills:

- Knowledge:

After completing this training program, learners may:

+ State and explain the role, position and duties of each job title in the hotel’s front office, organizational structure of the front office, relationship between the front office and other departments in the hotel, requirements to be satisfied by front office staff, activities of the front office in serving hotel guests;

+ State regulations on uniforms, clothing and personal make-up tips before working;

+ Enumerate and describe usage of equipment in the front office;

+ State and explain preparations before each shift;

+ State and analyze procedures for handover of shifts;

+ State methods of oral, written and telephone communication;

+ Enumerate sales methods;

+ Express and analyze front office operations, including: reservation, receipt and registration of guests, serving guest during his/her stay in the hotel, check-out and payment;

+ State payment process with different methods of payment;

+ State and explain hotel security and safety regulations;

+ State and analyze types of sales reports;

+ State and analyze the meaning and importance and preparations before training front office staff and supervision of front office staff in serving guests.

- Skills:

After completing this training program, learners will have the following skills:
+ Strictly comply with regulations on uniforms, clothing and personal make-up tips before starting their shifts;

+ Check and use equipment in the front office in proper and effective manner;

+ Fluently make preparations before each shift;

+ Fluently perform procedures for handover of shifts;

+ Fluently communicate with domestic and international guests;

+ Fluently apply sales methods to different types of hotel guests;

+ Fluently perform front office operations, including: reservation, receipt and registration of guests, serving guest during his/her stay in the hotel, check-out and payment;

+ Fluently perform payment operations;

+ Fluently perform hotel security and safety procedures;

+ Fluently prepare and process sales reports;

+ Participate in recruitment and training for front office staff;

+ Supervise front office staff in serving hotel guests;

+ Handle unforeseen circumstances in a fluent and scientific manner;

+ Fluently organize teamwork.

2. Politics, ethics; physical education and national defense education:

- Politics, ethics:

+ Enable learners to express basic knowledge of the Marxism and Leninism, and Ho Chi Minh Ideology with respect to the patriotic tradition of the nation and of laboring class of Vietnam, the leadership and revolutionary policies of the Vietnam Communist Party in the process of industrialization and modernization;

+ Help learners to grasp rights and obligations of a citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

+ Enable learners to exercise rights and fulfill obligations of a citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

+ Enable learners to be aware of, preserve and promote traditions of laboring class; inherit and promote cultural characters of Vietnam;

+ Enhance their self-awareness of study to improve personal qualifications and fulfill assigned duties; apply acquired knowledge to training for becoming a dynamic and creative employee who has professional conscience and a good sense of responsibility; have a simple and healthy lifestyle and industrial behavior.

- Physical education and national defense education:

+ Enable learners to demonstrate basic knowledge and training methods in sports for protecting and improving their health and physical strength to study and work well;

+ Enable learners to exercise basic skills and training methods in sports for protecting and improving their health and physical strength to study and work well;

+ Help learners to demonstrate basic knowledge in the national defense – security training program;

+ Enable learners to display basic skills in the national defense – security training program;

+ Improve learners’ awareness of disciplines and self-awareness in protecting the fatherland.

3. Career opportunities:

- Graduates from this training program may undertake different job positions such as receptionist of hotel or company, or front office manager of hotels ranked from 03 to 05 stars and other job positions in the hotel depending on personal capacity and job requirements. They may also undertake job positions in other hotel’s departments (sales department, marketing department or human resource management department, etc.);

- They may attend higher-level training courses and bridge programs (from college level to university level);

- Graduates from this training program may also act as lecturers of vocational primary or secondary training classes in front office operations and lectures instructing practical classes in front office management in hospitality vocational training institutions.

II. COURSE LENGTH AND MINIMUM ACTUAL TRAINING DURATION:

1. Course length and minimum actual training duration:

- Course length: 3 years

- Study duration: 131 weeks

- Minimum actual training duration: 3750 hours

- Duration for test preparation, testing upon completion of each subject/module and graduation examination: 240 hours (including 60 hours of graduation examination).

2. Distribution of minimum actual training duration:

- Training duration for compulsory general subjects: 450 hours

- Training duration for vocational training subjects/modules: 3300 hours

+ Training duration for compulsory subjects: 2410 hours; Training duration for optional subjects: 890 hours

+ Theoretical training duration: 891 hours; Practical training duration: 2409 hours

III. LIST OF COMPULSORY SUBJECTS/MODULES, TRAINING DURATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF TRAINING DURATION:

IV. COMPULSORY TRAINING SUBJECTS/MODULES:

(Detailed contents are specified in attached annexes)

V. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE FRAMEWORK PROGRAM FOR VOCATIONAL COLLEGE LEVEL AS THE BASIS FOR DESIGNING VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS:

1. Instructions for preparing the list of optional vocational training subjects/ modules; training duration, distribution of training duration and contents of study thereof

1.1. List of optional vocational training subjects/modules and distribution of training duration thereof

1.2. Instructions for designing training programs for optional vocational training subjects/modules:

- Pursuant to Decision No. 58/2008/QD-BLDTBXH dated September 06, 2008 by Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the distribution of training duration for vocational training subjects/modules are provided for as follows:

+ Training duration for compulsory vocational training subjects/modules accounts for 70 – 80% and that for optional vocational training subjects/modules accounts for 20 - 30%;

+ Theoretical and practical training period: Theoretical training period accounts for 25 – 35%, practical period accounts for 65 - 75%.

- Apart from compulsory subjects/modules specified in Section III, vocational training institutions may design or select optional subjects/modules from the referred list in the framework program in Section V, subsection 1.1.;

- The training duration for optional subjects/modules must be designed so as to ensure that the sum of training duration for optional subjects/modules and that for compulsory subjects/modules must be equal or exceed the required minimum actual training duration but not exceed the course length set forth in the training plan;

- Each vocational training institution shall design contents of optional subjects/modules and training duration thereof on the basis of training objectives and specific requirements of each vocation or region. Pursuant to regulations on the framework program, the rector of the vocational training institution shall instruct the formulation, appraisal and promulgation of detailed training program for each optional subject/module;

- E.g.: 16 out of 19 subjects/modules in the abovementioned list of optional subjects/modules are selected to put into the training program and design detailed training program for each selected subject/module. To be specific:

(Detailed contents are specified in attached annexes)

2. Instructions for graduation examination:

3. Instructions for determining time and contents of extra-curricular activities (arranged outside of the training duration) which aim to achieve comprehensive education objectives:

- Vocational training institutions may arrange learners to visit and learn experience at some hotels ranked from 4 to 5 stars in order that they can be fully aware of their training vocation.

- Vocational training institutions may arrange learners to visit a number of historical and cultural relics or participate in local social activities for the purposes of educating them in national traditions and enhancing their social and cultural awareness;

- Time for extra-curriculum activities must be reasonably arranged outside the training duration.

4. Other remarks:

- The master plan (2 semesters) must be adjusted if this framework program is used for training learners who transition from vocational secondary level; learners will learn knowledge and skills that have not been taught at vocational secondary training program. With regard to graduation examination, they will only be tested for advanced knowledge and skills at vocational college level;

- After designing or selecting optional subjects/modules, each vocational training institution may re-arrange codes of subjects/modules included in its training program for management.