Viet Nam's Marine Economy Is Growing Faster Than Its Skills Base

Viet Nam's 13 marine-economy training institutions admitted 5,153 students this year, a 16.1% rise — and it is still not enough. The figure, reported by the Ministry of Education and Training, sits at the centre of a widening gap between the country's maritime ambitions and its workforce.

What does the numbers gap mean for graduates?

Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the Higher Education Department, said 44 programmes opened for enrolment this year, up 18.9% from 2025. Yet training remains small in scale, entry scores are low, and few programmes combine marine science with data, automation, economics and law. Practical infrastructure — research vessels, simulators, laboratories — is scattered across institutions and needs substantial investment.

The mismatch has real consequences. Ha Noi University of Natural Resources and Environment has enrolled 50-62 students a year in its marine resource management specialisation since 2013. But for years, mismatches between the official discipline list and recruitment code requirements blocked graduates from jobs at state agencies managing seas and islands.

Where the shortages bite hardest

Quang Ninh province illustrates the problem. Its workforce stood at about 695,200 at the end of 2025, with 87.5% trained and 42.8% holding degrees or certificates, according to Vu Nam Phong, Deputy Head of the provincial Seas, Islands and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-department. Despite those numbers, the province lacks specialists in artificial intelligence, marine digital technologies, data management and logistics.

• Tourism: shortage of senior managers, foreign-language staff and night-time economy operators.
• Maritime services: scarce highly specialised technicians for ship machinery repair and divers for hull inspection; some roles filled by workers brought in from Hai Phong.
• Technical fields such as mechanical engineering, equipment operation and logistics struggle to attract students at all.

In Ca Mau, Pham Van Muoi, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the coastal workforce is large but uneven in quality. Many workers learned through experience alone, with weak digital skills and little exposure to modern production management.

Reform on the way

Resolution 20, issued by the 14th Party Central Committee on July 28, 2026, names science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and a highly skilled workforce as the key drivers of a strong maritime nation. A government resolution in August tasked agencies with plans for training, attracting and nurturing that workforce.

Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan said the country needs research organisations that bring together highly qualified specialists, modern infrastructure and command of data. The target of two to three marine science and innovation research organisations on par with ASEAN leaders should be seen, he said, "not merely as a numerical target but as a measure of national capability."

The Ministry of Education and Training proposes four training pillars: marine and ocean sciences; engineering and energy; marine biology and food; and marine economics and governance. It wants data, AI, foreign languages and international law woven into curricula, shared use of research vessels and labs, and a shift from institution-driven to demand-driven training measured by graduate employability.

Associate Professor Pham Van Thuan, Vice Rector of Viet Nam Maritime University, called for tuition support in priority disciplines, more scholarships and coordinated infrastructure investment. Phong urged a state-institution-employer model where businesses help define needs, build curricula and recruit graduates. Muoi added that short-term retraining and support for coastal workers changing occupations are essential so marine growth delivers jobs and sustainable livelihoods, not just high-value industries.