Through the USD2.20 million USAID project, which began in 2021, the USAID and the NIC partnered to expand digital skills within Vietnam’s labor market to improve the upward mobility and competitiveness of Vietnam’s workforce.

Specific results include partnering with and investing in nine private and non-profit training institutions to provide digital skills training for more than 3,000 students and 500 teachers from over 60 universities and colleges; leveraging USD1 million in contributions from private sector partners; providing digital skills training to students in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, rural areas throughout the regions, and in the Mekong Delta; promoting the role of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through a series of “Women in AI” training programs; and establishing partnerships with recruitment agencies such as Vietnamworks, TopCV, and JobHopins to develop a Digital Workforce website that provides comprehensive information and data on salaries, skills, career paths, and selected courses in digital skills.

The WISE project is one of numerous demonstrations of the enduring partnership of the United States in supporting the Government of Vietnam’s goal of moving from lower-middle-income status to upper-middle-income status by 2030.

USAID’s WISE project was first announced by Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit to Vietnam in 2021. Subsequently in 2023, President Joseph Biden committed to increasing support for Vietnam in the training and development of a high-tech workforce. The United States is an enduring partner for Vietnam in assisting in the training of a high-quality workforce, contributing to the achievement of Vietnam’s future development goals, under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.