On Tuesday, over 300 students in Da Nang attended a forum on enhancing job and startup skills for young people and boosting their links with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Co-organised by the city’s branch of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Microsoft Viet Nam, the event provided the opportunity for young people to access and learn from the startup experiences of local experts in order to promote their passion and spirit for startups.

Participants at the event were provided with the necessary knowledge and working skills of a modern work environment in order to increase their competitiveness in an integrated labour market.  

According to the city’s Coordination Council for Business Start-up Network, the 2^nd running of the CLAS Expara Vietnam Accelerator (CEVA), a programme aiming to grow the enterprise ecosystem, will be deployed in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.  It is being co-organised by Microsoft Viet Nam, South East Asia's leading venture accelerator Expara, and Customer Loyalty and Acquisition Services Company (CLAS).

Under the programme, participating businesses will have the chance to take part in training courses in both localities.  In order to help local startup businesses enhance their competitiveness, CEVA will be conducted over 5 months with a variety of useful sources from Microsoft, CLAS and Expara.  In addition, participants will be given access to online portal and learning programmes.