Ensuring future success by empowering Ninh Binh’s youth

Ha Nam Vocational College (Ninh Binh) and CED on November 14 organised the Job Fair and Award Ceremony for the 2025 Start-Up Competition for Sustainable Development.

This event was held as part of the “Empower Youth for Future Success in Ninh Binh Province” to enhance employment skills for youth in Ha Nam Province (now Ninh Binh Province)” programs, funded by the PepsiCo Foundation. Collectively, these programmes have given 1,196 students access to training in social skills, financial literacy, employability, and entrepreneurship with the goal to equip young people in the former Ha Nam province with a comprehensive skillset to ensure their success in a workplace environment.

The Job Fair and Award Ceremony allowed students to bring the skills they had acquired throughout these programs and served as an essential bridge to link businesses, vocational education institutions, and learners, with the aim of introducing employment opportunities, providing career orientation, and encouraging the spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship among local youth. In this event, students were able to talk to working businesses and explore employment opportunities, while businesses were able to scout local talent and recruit to their workforce.

The unique opportunity this event presented enabled educational institutions, businesses, and development organisations to effectively connect with each other, sharing the same goal of enhancing training quality and supplying high-quality human resources for Ninh Binh province and neighbouring regions. As a testament to this commitment, the event saw 1000 participants in attendance.

Speaking on the importance of job fairs such as this, Mr. Vu Huu Y, Principal of Ha Nam Vocational College (Ninh Binh province) said, “This activity celebrates the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among young people, contributes to improving training quality based on social needs, and strengthens cooperation among stakeholders especially in the context of comprehensive international collaboration to meet the human resource demands of the locality.”

The job fair was also a chance to host the award ceremony for the 2025 Startup Competition and Outstanding Self-Made Equipment Models. The competition, themed “Youth Entrepreneurship Innovation for Sustainable Development,” received 150 submissions, of which 16 outstanding projects advanced to the final round and were honored. These included breakthrough ideas in the fields of Commerce, Services, Information Technology, and Agriculture. Outstanding self-made equipment models were also awarded, recognising creative products that effectively support teaching and vocational training.

Ms. To Kim Lien, Director of the Centre for Education and Development, shared:

“With four practical themes Social and Financial Skills, Work Skills, Entrepreneurial Skills, and Sustainable Agriculture the program offers 20 lessons designed using active learning methods to equip students with essential competencies throughout the training process. After three phases involving nearly 1,200 students at Ha Nam Vocational College and the Ly Nhan Center for Continuing Education Vocational Training, the programme has received overwhelming support from both teachers and learners. It not only strengthens educators’ capacity and equips young people with critical job skills but also contributes to building a high-quality workforce for Ninh Binh province ready for integration and sustainable growth.”

None of this incredible work would have been possible without the funding from PepsiCo, who are committed to contributing to the development of a high-quality workforce and supporting the socio-economic growth of the locality. Ms. Nguyen Mai Chi, Director of External Relations and Communications at PepsiCo Vietnam Foods, emphasises this by saying, “PepsiCo always places people and communities at the heart of our development efforts. We believe that investing in skills and career opportunities for today’s youth is an investment in the sustainable future of both businesses and local communities.”