Ho Chi Minh City, 30 July 2025 - Central Retail Vietnam and the College of Foreign Economic Relations (COFER) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly implement the “Future Retail Operations Program”. The collaboration marks a significant step forward in training and developing young talent for Vietnam’s retail industry.

Under this partnership, Central Retail Vietnam and COFER will implement two key training programs:

1. Retail Rotational Trainee Program: A two-year on-the-job program for students to gain practical experience and become qualified to lead as future section managers at retail stores. The program focuses on leadership capability and service excellence.
2. Retail Management Curriculum Enhancement: This program includes specialised seminars, tuition support, training assessments, and a commitment to recruit qualified students upon graduation.

Mr. Olivier Langlet, Group CEO of Central Retail Vietnam, shared: “Through this program, by 2028, we expect 30 talented students to graduate and take leadership roles within our stores - each of them shaped by a curriculum that blends academic rigor with hands-on industry experience. They won’t just be ready for retail; they’ll be ready to lead it. This initiative is a win for everyone: for COFER, it is a chance to establish itself as the premier retail education institution in the region. For Central Retail, it is an opportunity to build a visionary and skilled workforce aligned with our values.

For Vietnam, this contributes to the development of a youth-led talent pipeline capable of sustaining growth and contribution to the modernisation of retail industry. This program reflects our deep belief in the potential of Vietnam’s younger generation, and our commitment to walking alongside them on their professional journey.

Dr. Le Ngoc Trung, Rector of the College of Foreign Economic Relations, affirmed: "Central Retail has long been one of our most committed and responsible partners. Their dedication has helped us pursue our practice-based training philosophy, equipping students with specialised knowledge through modern teaching methods and regularly updated curricula.”

“We truly appreciate Central Retail’s serious and responsible approach in fulfilling its commitment to the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the national domestic market development strategy - particularly through this cooperation to invest in high-quality human capital for the retail sector. I strongly believe that with the cooperation of Central Retail - a leading retailer with a strong network of supermarkets, hypermarkets, shopping malls, and convenience stores such as GO!, Tops Market, and Nguyen Kim - COFER will have ideal conditions and a conducive environment to realise our educational vision: training must align with the real needs of businesses, with student employability as the key indicator of quality."

On 3 May 2024, Central Retail signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the College of Foreign Economic Relations (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade) in Ho Chi Minh City to operationalise the cooperation framework between the Ministry and Central Retail on retail workforce development. Following the signing, both sides actively collaborated to shape two tailored training programs, officially launched on July 30, 2025:

• Program 1: Retail Rotational Trainee Program
  Open to students of all majors at COFER who have a passion for retail and a desire to grow in the field. Upon graduation, selected students will undergo two years of training to become section managers at Central Retail by 2028.
• Program 2: Retail Management Curriculum Enhancement
  Targeted at students majoring in supermarket management. Participants will receive 30% tuition support, attend specialised training courses by Central Retail, and be evaluated every six months. Graduates will have the opportunity to be recruited as section managers at Central Retail stores.