The Vietnam Association of Community Colleges (VACC) would like to extend its sincere appreciation to ABE Global – a new member of the Association (admitted in November 2025) – for its sponsorship and valuable contribution to the success of the 2026 Scientific Conference.
Representing ABE Global at the Conference were:
- Mr. Robert William Kindness – Regional Sales Director for Southeast Asia
- Mr. Tran Quang Sau – Country Director of ABE Global Vietnam
In his address, Mr. Kindness shared insightful perspectives on the critical role of vocational education institutions, particularly community colleges, in responding to rapidly changing labour market and skills demands.
ABE Global – A mission-driven skills development organisation
ABE Global is a not-for-profit skills development specialist established in London in 1973, originally known as the Association of Business Executives. Its founding mission – to widen access to high-quality business education, especially in developing countries – remains central to its work today.
ABE Global is regulated by Ofqual, the UK qualifications regulator, ensuring robust quality assurance and external oversight. In April 2023, ABE became an independent subsidiary of The Institute of Leadership, a UK-registered charity founded in 1947, further strengthening its professional and leadership development offer.
ABE currently delivers internationally recognised vocational qualifications and credentials across:
- Business
- Leadership
- Entrepreneurship, with an increasing focus on sustainability, tourism, hospitality and services.
Aligning ABE Global’s vision with Vietnam’s vocational education priorities
Mr. Kindness highlighted that Vietnam’s ambition to welcome around 25 million international visitors by 2026 presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in terms of workforce readiness. Employers increasingly seek not only technical skills, but also professional behaviours, leadership capability and service excellence under pressure.
Community colleges, he noted, are uniquely positioned to deliver practical, employer-informed programmes that combine job knowledge with workplace behaviours – a core area where ABE Global seeks to collaborate.
Potential areas of collaboration with VACC member colleges
ABE Global expressed strong interest in exploring practical, vocational-focused cooperation, including:
- Embedding ABE units within existing vocational programmes
- Developing industry-aligned pathways for tourism, hospitality and services
- ABE Endorsed recognition for local programmes
- Lecturer and trainer professional development
- Quality assurance and assessment partnerships
- Flexible progression pathways for vocational learners
Appreciation and future outlook
VACC sincerely thanks ABE Global for its dual role as a Conference sponsor and an active new member of the Association. We look forward to strengthening our partnership in the coming period, with a shared commitment to enhancing vocational education quality, employability and sustainable skills development in Vietnam.
