Vietnam’s Logistics Talent: From “Short and Weak” to a Strategic Supply Chain Workforce

Yet behind impressive figures on volume and revenue lies a tough challenge: the talent pool is short in numbers and still falls behind in skills, languages, digital literacy and modern management. If left unaddressed, this human capital bottleneck could become the biggest obstacle to Vietnam’s logistics ambitions.

The current talent picture: many programmes, but not enough job-ready graduates

In just a few years, the number of universities, colleges and training centres offering majors in logistics, supply chain management and e-commerce has risen rapidly. Many provinces now list logistics as a priority sector for investment and workforce development. However, there is still a significant gap between what is taught in the classroom and what companies actually need.

At operational level, many graduates know the basics of INCOTERMS, documentation and export–import procedures, but struggle with the tools used daily in business: TMS, WMS, ERP, electronic customs platforms, carrier portals, booking and tracking systems. Data skills are another weak spot. Companies increasingly need staff who can work with advanced Excel, dashboards and BI tools to analyse lane-level performance, warehouse KPIs and customer profitability – yet these skills are often underdeveloped.

At managerial level, true “end-to-end supply chain thinking” is still rare. Many so-called logistics managers focus primarily on transport coordination and troubleshooting individual shipments, with limited experience in network design, flow optimisation, KPI frameworks or contract architecture. As more FDI and multinational players expect logistics partners to co-design and manage their supply chains, this gap becomes more visible.

Foreign language skills – especially professional English – remain a significant barrier. Many capable operators find it hard to read contracts, insurance clauses, customs rules or to negotiate directly with shipping lines, airlines and overseas customers. As a result, local logistics firms often lose ground when competing for tenders or negotiating partnerships with foreign counterparts.

From “teaching content” to building competencies linked to real-world practice

To break the cycle of “plenty of diplomas, limited capabilities”, logistics education needs to pivot towards competency-based design, not just course lists. At university level, programmes should be built around clear job competencies: the ability to apply INCOTERMS; assemble a complete document set for a shipment; design a basic multimodal routing plan; analyse lane costs; or draft a warehouse layout and picking strategy.

Equally important is making company–linked learning the norm rather than a nice-to-have. Internships, co-op schemes, industry-based projects, part-time lecturers from companies, and simulation labs (transport control rooms, mock warehouses, booking–tracking systems) help students understand what a real workday in logistics looks like. When students can “touch” actual systems – even in sandbox mode – the gap between theory and practice narrows significantly.

On the corporate side, training should be treated as a core talent strategy, not a peripheral expense. Graduate programmes dedicated to logistics, structured upskilling for warehouse staff, drivers and dispatchers, in-house courses on data literacy, negotiation and professional English all help build a more resilient talent pipeline. Just as importantly, companies should engage early in curriculum design: defining learning outcomes, contributing case studies, providing sample data and joining capstone project evaluation panels.

A promising direction is to develop short, intensive programmes tailored to specific niches: e-commerce logistics, agricultural cold chain, dangerous goods logistics, project cargo, retail inventory management and so on. Each track would go deep into the sector’s distinct regulations, processes, safety standards and KPIs, rather than spreading content thinly across many topics.

A supply chain talent strategy: from classroom headcount to a national ecosystem

At company level, tackling the talent issue can start with drawing a clear capability map: identifying key roles (planner, analyst, procurement specialist, warehouse manager, transport manager, customer service, solution designer), defining competency frameworks and career paths for each. When employees can see a realistic path from frontline roles to supervisor, manager and expert positions, they are more likely to stay and invest in their own development. Without that, frequent job-hopping becomes almost inevitable.

At industry level, logistics and supply chain associations can act as orchestrators of a talent ecosystem. Locally adapted professional certifications, student case competitions, academia–industry forums, scholarship and internship schemes can all help build an active professional community. In such a community, logistics is seen less as a “stopgap job” and more as a long-term career where people can learn continuously, grow and expand their networks.

From a public policy perspective, human capital development must be integrated into broader logistics and infrastructure strategies. When planning new logistics hubs, ports, airports and industrial zones, policymakers should also consider colocated training facilities, practice centres and regional training partnerships. Well-designed incentives – financial and procedural – for companies investing in workforce development can encourage the private sector to play a stronger role in building the talent base.

Human capital is the “soft infrastructure” that determines whether ports, warehouses, logistics centres and digital strategies actually deliver results. When companies, universities, associations and regulators place people at the centre – with practice-oriented training, clear career paths and a culture of lifelong learning – logistics stops being viewed as a temporary job and becomes an attractive, long-term career choice for young professionals. In the long run, a strong talent base is what will differentiate Vietnam in the regional supply chain game.

In the broader effort to upgrade Vietnam’s logistics sector, talent cannot remain just a talking point backed by clichés about being “short and weak”. What is needed is a genuine supply chain talent strategy: competency-based education, deeper corporate involvement in training, active industry associations and enabling public policies. Once this “soft infrastructure” is in place, ambitions around gateway ports, logistics parks, cold chains, digital logistics and 4PL/LLP roles will rest on a far stronger foundation – that of a capable, adaptive and globally-minded workforce.