The READY Project (Responding to Employment Adaptability through Digital-skilling for Youth in the Mekong Region) addresses a shared regional challenge across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, where higher education systems remain insufficiently aligned with rapidly evolving digital labor market demands. Implemented by VietHope, a non-profit organization with over 20 years of experience in youth development in Vietnam, the project will run for 36 months with a total budget of USD 500,000, supported by the Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF). READY adopts a scalable and system-level approach, engaging a network of 15 to 25 universities to co-develop a standardized digital skills curriculum, strengthen faculty capacity through a Train-the-Trainer (TOT) model, and reach at least 3,000 active users across the region. At the core of the project is the READY Hub, a regional digital teaching and learning platform prioritized from Year 1, providing free access for all students. The platform will host shared teaching resources, support continuous learning for faculty and students, and serve as a regional knowledge hub for digital transformation for at least 10 years beyond the project. Non-partner universities will be invited to participate early through the platform to accelerate regional adoption and scalability. To ensure long-term sustainability, the project introduces an innovative dual-track model called READY Fusion, which combines free student access with fee-based training modules for enterprises, enabling partner universities to generate revenue while maintaining inclusive access. Local partners such as VCCI-HCM and CreBiz Factory will support labor market assessments and the co-design of practical training models aligned with industry needs. By promoting public-private-academic collaboration, cross-border knowledge sharing, and scalable digital infrastructure, READY directly contributes to MKCF priorities in Human Resources Development and ICT, while strengthening institutional cooperation among Mekong countries and the Republic of Korea.
