
Vocational Training
South East Asia.
VTSEA was set up on the back of a successful pilot training program in Horticulture at the Social Support Centre in Da Nang, Vietnam. This training program was pioneered by the highly acclaimed Landscape Architect Don Thomson with support from Swinburne University of Technology.
Our Mission
To alleviate poverty by educating disadvantaged people across South-East Asia in trade-based skills including horticulture, and then to find them employment.



"This course continues to grow, many unemployed students and disadvantaged people will be able to take part in this course and have the opportunity to develop skills and find jobs."
Hien

"This course has given me specialised knowledge. I will apply this to guide the construction of new gardens around the Da Nang Social Support Centre to enhance the living environment of the disadvantaged residents.
Beyond this I hope to work on environmental landscapes in resorts along the South China Sea."
Truyen

"The horticulture course has given me specialized knowledge.
I will use this to build a small garden at my home to improve lifestyle for my family. I hope to keep learning more about horticulture which will open up work opportunities for me in the future."
Trung

"This course has taught me a lot about gardening. In particular I have learned about plants and how they function, soils and pH, tools and machinery.
I will use this knowledge to build a garden and grow produce at home that will improve the living environment for my family."
Son
Students Success Stories
Providing training to students that might otherwise miss out on this opportunity, and then helping them to find employment, is core to our ambitions at VTSEA. Training such as this empowers the individual allowing them independence and more control over their lives. Beyond this, upskilling the local population underpins a significant positive shift in the prospects of the region.
This is what the students undertaking the pilot horticulture course at the Da Nang Social Support Centre think about their training: