The digital competency framework contributes to the comprehensive development of Vietnam's digital workforce in the context of globalization.

The seminar was attended by over 200 delegates from specialized units of the Ministry of Education and Training; members of the drafting committee for the Circular; representatives from over 80 universities and colleges in the North, Central, and South regions; representatives from 10 Departments of Education and Training nationwide; and several large technology corporations and businesses. In addition, the seminar was also attended by over 200 students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Professor Hoang Anh Tuan (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) affirmed: The seminar "Gathering feedback on the draft Circular promulgating the Digital Competency Framework for Learners in the National Education System" is being held in the context of increasingly strong digital transformation, and especially the rapid development of artificial intelligence, which has been and is affecting all areas of social life. This shows that today's seminar is very important; it is an opportunity for us to exchange, discuss, and provide feedback on the draft Digital Competency Framework for Learners, aiming to create a common, appropriate set of standards to help improve digital competence for learners at all levels of education, contributing to the comprehensive development of digital human resources for the country.
On behalf of the University's leadership, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Training for entrusting the University of Social Sciences and Humanities with the task of organizing the seminar. As one of the leading educational institutions in the field of social sciences and humanities, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has been a pioneer in integrating digital skills into its teaching and learning programs. Over the past period, the university has successfully piloted methods and tools for developing digital competencies for students and faculty. VNU-USSH was also selected by Meta to partner in implementing the Digital Competency Enhancement Project, and as a result, VNU-USSH is the first university in Vietnam to issue a Digital Competency Framework for students. This initial success is an important foundation for VNU-USSH to confidently contribute to the realization of the Digital Competency Framework, aiming to improve the level and adaptability of learners in the context of international integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In her opening remarks, Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy (Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training) shared the significance of building a common digital competency framework for learners throughout the national education system: “The competency framework plays a crucial role in equipping, shaping, and developing digital skills for students, workers, and employees in the following aspects: providing a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to digital technology; providing criteria for evaluating and self-assessing current competencies, to develop appropriate training and development plans; and ensuring consistency and standardization nationwide, encouraging lifelong learning and innovation. Therefore, the significance of the Digital Competency Framework extends beyond improving the quality of education; it also opens the door to innovation, helping students become global citizens with competitive capabilities in the international labor market. This is also an opportunity to attract "Narrowing the digital divide between regions, ensuring that all learners, whether in urban or rural areas, have the opportunity to access and master technology."
This is very new content, researched primarily based on international experience and on rapidly evolving and changing topics. This competency framework will relate to and impact all learners in the national education system at all levels and in regions with significant disparities in information technology infrastructure, teaching staff, and student qualifications. Therefore, in today's seminar and in the future, the lead implementing unit hopes to receive contributions from policymakers, leading experts, educators, and technology companies to provide feedback on the content, propose practical solutions, and contribute to the refinement and successful implementation of the digital competency framework for learners in the national education system.
“The Ministry of Education and Training thanks the University of Social Sciences and Humanities for its companionship and participation in the preparation, development, and completion of the Draft Digital Competency Framework for Learners, as well as for its meticulous preparation for today's seminar,” Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy emphasized. Representing the unit in charge of drafting the Digital Competency Framework, Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung (Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training) shared: The Digital Competency Framework is built as a unified basis for the digital competency requirements of learners in the national education system; it serves as a reference framework for standards and guidelines for developing digital competencies so that educational institutions in the national education system can determine the content and methods to help learners acquire digital competencies appropriate to each level and stage of education; it helps learners develop the necessary skills to use technology effectively, be ready to face the challenges and opportunities in the digital world, and is a foundation for lifelong learning; it ensures that all learners have the opportunity to access and develop digital competencies, contributing to minimizing disparities in access to and use of technology; This serves as a basis for developing curricula, compiling or selecting textbooks, lesson plans, and teaching materials to enhance digital competencies and establish criteria for testing, examinations, and assessments at each educational level and training qualification, ensuring continuity between levels and qualifications; ensuring that the education system meets the needs of the digital age while helping learners develop comprehensively and sustainably.
According to the Draft, the Digital Competency Framework for Learners in the National Education System includes 6 competency domains (Data and Information Exploitation; Communication and Collaboration in the Digital Environment; Digital Content Creation; Safety; Problem Solving; and Artificial Intelligence Generation) with 24 component competencies, divided into 4 levels with 8 proficiency levels from basic to expert.
Within each competency domain, the Draft provides a detailed description of the specific component competencies and their manifestations at each level, from basic – intermediate – advanced – specialized (each level consisting of 2 stages).
Speaking on behalf of the drafting team, Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Hung shared: When compiling the Draft Framework for Digital Competencies for Learners in Vietnam's National Education System, the drafting team used the DigComp 2.2 framework as a reference, because it is a very popular framework in Europe, referenced by many countries, and also integrates competencies in the use of artificial intelligence.
The content section, in addition to defining the concept of "Digital Competency," also outlines specific manifestations (component competencies) of digital competence at various levels, from basic to expert. Based on this, educational institutions can develop training programs, and technology companies can develop products and platforms to support the training and self-training of digital competence for learners.
Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Hung also emphasized: “The drafting team also consulted the UNESCO digital competency framework and those of many developed countries around the world to ensure global integration. However, it must also be suitable for Vietnam's conditions and ensure feasibility, helping learners achieve the necessary digital competencies. In today's seminar, the drafting team hopes to hear feedback from experts, education managers, training units at the secondary and university levels, and businesses in the technology sector, etc.”

Specific conditions must be taken into account when implementing a digital competency framework across the entire national education system.

At the seminar, participants generally agreed on the importance and necessity of issuing a digital competency framework for learners, while also contributing many specific suggestions to improve the content of the framework and ensure its successful implementation in practice. Associate Professor Ho Quoc Bang (Deputy Head of the Training Department, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) shared: Currently, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City is actively developing a digital competency framework for lecturers in the system. Therefore, the Circular is a very important basis for Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City to refer to and refine the digital competency framework for its teaching staff, meeting practical needs. Deputy Head of the Training Department, Ho Quoc Bang, also hoped that, in parallel with the issuance of the circular, the Ministry of Education and Training should provide specific guidance for consistent implementation, ensuring a relatively uniform output standard for all educational levels nationwide.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tan, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Thua Thien Hue province, in 2025, the education sector will conduct a comprehensive review of the implementation of the 2018 General Education Program. This is an opportunity to appropriately integrate digital competencies into the teaching plans of training institutions. Mr. Nguyen Tan also believes that thorough preparation from the teaching staff and infrastructure conditions is necessary to effectively implement this Circular.
From the perspective of a general education institution, Mr. Hoang Minh Hieu, Principal of Phu Bai High School (Thua Thien Hue), believes that training high school students in digital competencies according to the content outlined in the circular is entirely feasible. However, in the implementation approach, priority should be given to integrating it into subjects in the general education curriculum, rather than separating it into a separate subject.
Mr. Ha Ngoc Luu (People's Police Academy) stated that the institution has developed a digital competency framework for students, referencing the framework issued by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The issuance of a common digital competency framework for the entire national education system is an extremely important legal basis for educational institutions to implement it uniformly. However, during implementation, the disparities in economic and social conditions, technical and technological infrastructure, and the learning levels of students between urban and rural areas, including remote regions, should also be considered. The framework should emphasize ethical considerations in the digital environment.
Representatives from businesses and technology corporations, acting as employers of graduates and developers of technology platforms to support digital skills training for learners, also contributed many ideas to the seminar.
Mr. Truong Quoc Hung (Chairman of EMG Group, Chairman of ICDL Vietnam) stated that: To ensure the successful implementation of the circular at all levels of education in the national education system, the first step is to train and assess the digital competency framework of those involved in management and teaching in information technology and digital skills.
Mr. Truong Anh Tuan, Vice President of the Vietnam Free and Open Source Software Association (VFOSSA) and General Director of Information Solutions Joint Stock Company, expressed his wish that when building a digital competency framework, the curriculum content should be open educational materials, aiming for widespread sharing and reuse of knowledge…
With the utmost openness and careful consideration, the drafting committee and editorial team of the draft Circular will incorporate all the very open contributions from experts, scientists, educators, businesses, and education management agencies at today's seminar to review, update, and finalize the Circular in the coming time.
Some photos of delegates at the consultation seminar on the Circular promulgating the Digital Competency Framework for Learners in the National Education System, held at VNU-USSH.                    

With its proactive role in researching and applying a digital competency framework for students, and as a pioneer in digital transformation, on May 2nd, 2024, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, issued a Digital Competency Framework for its students, comprising 7 competency groups with 26 criteria. This is the first digital competency framework in Vietnam and has been referenced and used by over 150 universities to develop training content and assess students' digital competency frameworks. Previously, starting in 2020, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) collaborated with Meta Group to implement a project aimed at enhancing digital skills for students. Based on the results of Phase 1 of the project, in November 2022, USSH, in coordination with the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges and Meta Group, organized a workshop on "Digital Skills for Students in the Context of Digital Transformation in Higher Education." At the workshop, a team of experts from USSH introduced the first Digital Skills Framework for students in Vietnam, based on research and references from many popular digital skills frameworks worldwide. The framework received high praise from experts, managers, universities, and leading technology corporations in Vietnam. Simultaneously, two documents – the "Handbook for Developing Digital Skills" and the monograph "Digital Skills" – were presented in detail at the workshop by representatives of the drafting team. The first competency framework for students in Vietnam was issued by VNU-USSH. The monograph series "Digital Competence" In early 2023, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities continued to be trusted and selected by Meta Group to implement the project on enhancing the capacity to apply generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in teaching and learning activities for faculty and students. This demonstrates the University of Social Sciences and Humanities' very proactive, positive, and effective participation in the process of building a digital competency framework for students and learners in general.

News reports:
- Ministry of Education and Training:The digital competency framework contributes to the development of the country's digital workforce.
- Education and the Times:Suggestions for developing a digital competency framework for learners.
- Young people:Digital competency frameworks help students compete in the international job market.
- People's Representatives Newspaper:Digital competency frameworks for learners: A challenging and new task in Vietnam.