Representatives of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, partner companies and vocational schools attend a press conference to announce the Chamber as an officially certified DCT Partner Company.

LNCCI officially certified as DCT Partner Company

The Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) has been certified as an official DCT Partner Company, which is a prestigious mark of recognition for the very valuable efforts the enterprise has taken in educating young Lao people in the field of industry.
The Chamber’s Vice President, Dr Xaybandith Rasphone, said the designation of the LNCCI as a DCT Certified Company is the foundation for enterprises to make progress in accessing vocational education development funding, training, and exhibitions, as well as praise through national awards and the Asean Best Business Award scheme.
DCT stands for “Dual Cooperative Training”, which means that students who learn a trade are not only taught in vocational colleges but also to a significant extent trained in a company, which considerably enhances their practical skills and their employability.
This approach addresses one of the major bottlenecks of the Lao economy and the lack of skilled labour.
The benefits for students are a better understanding of the practical aspects of the trade they learn, enhanced skills, and an insight into the actual day-to-day operations of a business.
This makes it easier for them to find a reasonably paid job. In fact, students are often hired by the companies in which they trained immediately after they have completed their vocational training.
The companies that engage in DCT have multiple benefits. They get to know the potential of future employees and guide them to become productive and loyal members of their staff.
Colleges share the training cost of the students, and enterprises receive support when it comes to the training of their in-company trainers.
The students become part of the workforce and thereby help to address the workload of the company, which all contributes to better performance and enhanced competitiveness of the business.
Being an officially certified DCT partner company comes with a number of additional incentives, such as direct support by the DCT Service Centre at the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and exposure on the website of the Service Centre and during DCT related events.
Companies receive invitations to networking events as well as DCT-related workshops at the Asean level, and gain preferential access to selected trade fairs and exhibitions.
The Dual Cooperative Training approach is supported by the Lao government, the LNCCI and the German Development Cooperation through the VELA (Vocational Education Lao PDR) project of the German development agency GIZ and the VEFF (Vocational Education Financing Facility) project of KfW.
The DCT Partner Company certification was handed over after years of effort by all actors involved and distinguishes the private sector as a responsible and future-oriented business that supports a highly effective approach to vocational training and contributes to the development of the economy and the young people of Laos.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 25, 2023)