Pakpasak Technical College strengthens vocational education and training provision

In August 2025, Pakpasak Technical College in Vientiane launched two certificate level 1 professional cookery-related courses for young people interested in pursuing a career in one of the many establishments that make up the capital’s burgeoning hospitality sector. Forty students (31 of whom were women) enrolled on the four-month courses, with the support of full scholarships from the Skills for tourism, agriculture and forestry (STAF) programme. Prior to beginning their training, the students undertook a one-week induction session designed to familiarise them with the college campus and prepare them for their studies.

A key component of the induction was an awareness session with guest speakers from the Lao Women’s Union Counselling and Protection Centre for Women and Children. Two staff members from the centre delivered engaging presentations on:

• prevention of violence against women and children;
• human trafficking awareness and prevention.

The session attracted strong interest from the students who actively participated in the discussion and question-and-answer exchanges.

This initiative builds on a similar activity piloted at the Technical Vocational School of Bokeo Province in 2024, which served as a case study and example of good practice for Pakpasak Technical College. Building on the Bokeo example, Pakpasak Technical College further developed the model to enrich the learning experience of students.

Looking ahead, it is expected that this will not be a one-off initiative. Rather, it will be systematically included in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses via the support provided by the STAF programme for curriculum revision and/or new curriculum development. This will help to ensure that students in colleges across Lao PDR benefit from an approach to teaching and learning that combines vocational skills with essential life skills.

The Skills for tourism, agriculture and forestry programme is cofinanced by the Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Switzerland and the European Union. It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.