The Curriculum

Alongside their formal college and English studies, the apprentices will complete approximately 480 hours of structured ETHOS education and specialist training.

The curriculum moves from basic confidence and workplace readiness towards advanced field practice, management and independent project delivery.

It is divided into eighteen core modules and one specialist trekking module.

Stage One: Building Strong Foundations

C01. ETHOS Orientation, Professional Practice and Learning Skills

The apprentices begin by understanding ETHOS, the purpose of the programme and the standards expected of them.

They learn about:

• ETHOS values and community relationships

• professional behaviour

• attendance and responsibility

• learning strategies

• teamwork

• cultural identity and personal strengths

• asking for help and responding to feedback

A central message is that the apprentices are not beginning without knowledge. They already bring languages, practical skills, cultural understanding and experience shaped by their families and communities.

C02. Computer, Internet and Digital File Skills

This module introduces the essential digital skills required for study and professional work.

The apprentices practise:

• using a computer confidently

• organising files and folders

• naming and storing documents correctly

• using email and online platforms

• completing digital forms

• protecting passwords and personal information

• handling cultural photographs and information responsibly

C03. Introduction to Tourism and Northern Vietnam

The apprentices examine how tourism works and why visitors travel.

They explore:

• different types of tourism

• visitor motivations

• the tourism system

• northern Vietnamese destinations

• the role of guides, hosts and communities

• positive and negative tourism impacts

• living cultural knowledge as a professional strength

C04. Communication, Email, Teamwork and Public Speaking

The apprentices develop the ability to communicate clearly in professional and group settings.

This includes:

• listening carefully

• asking useful questions

• writing professional emails

• speaking with colleagues and visitors

• resolving misunderstandings

• giving short presentations

• participating confidently in meetings

• including quieter members of a group

Stage Two: Digital, Creative and Communication Skills

C05. AI and ChatGPT for Responsible Work

The apprentices learn how artificial intelligence can support study and workplace tasks without replacing judgement, honesty or original thinking.

They examine:

• writing useful prompts

• checking accuracy

• recognising invented information

• protecting personal and cultural information

• avoiding plagiarism

• recording when AI has been used

• distinguishing assistance from dishonest work

C06. Visitor Psychology and Tourism Models

This module helps the apprentices understand what visitors may need, expect, fear or misunderstand.

They study:

• visitor motivations

• culture shock

• expectations and satisfaction

• communication styles

• group behaviour

• service recovery

• responsible experience design

• the difference between hospitality and performance

C07. Canva and Visual Communication

The apprentices learn to communicate ideas through clear and professional visual design.

Practical tasks include:

• posters

• information graphics

• presentation slides

• visitor information

• social-media graphics

• educational materials

• responsible use of photographs and cultural imagery

C08. Photography, Composition and Lightroom

Photography is taught as both a creative skill and a professional tourism tool.

The apprentices practise:

• camera handling

• composition

• light and exposure

• portraits

• landscapes

• documentary photography

• image selection

• basic Lightroom editing

• consent and respectful representation

• preparing photographs for websites and social media

C09. DJI Osmo Pocket 3, Audio and Field Filming

This module introduces practical filming and audio recording.

The apprentices learn:

• basic camera movement

• framing and sequencing

• interview preparation

• recording clear sound

• filming in villages and outdoor environments

• obtaining consent

• caring for equipment

• organising video files

C10. YouTube, Scriptwriting, Editing and Audience Development

The apprentices develop complete short-form video projects.

They practise:

• identifying an audience

• developing a story

• writing scripts

• planning a sequence

• filming supporting footage

• editing video

• choosing music responsibly

• writing titles and descriptions

• evaluating accuracy and audience response

Stage Three: Responsible Tourism, Culture and Safety

C11. Sustainable Tourism and Environmental Stewardship

The apprentices examine how tourism affects landscapes, resources and communities.

They learn about:

• waste and pollution

• water use

• trail erosion

• wildlife disturbance

• local purchasing

• visitor behaviour

• climate and seasonal pressures

• responsible group management

• practical environmental action

C12. Cultural Heritage, Authenticity and Community Leadership

This module explores how culture can be interpreted respectfully without being simplified, staged or exploited.

The apprentices examine:

• tangible and intangible heritage

• cultural authority

• consent

• intellectual ownership

• stereotypes

• authenticity

• respectful photography

• knowledge that may be shared

• knowledge that requires permission

• knowledge that should remain private

The apprentices are trained to represent communities responsibly, not to claim ownership over knowledge held by families, elders or ritual specialists.

C13. First Aid, Safety and Risk Management

Safety is treated as a professional responsibility and a compulsory competency gate.

Training includes:

• first-aid kit management

• scene assessment

• dehydration and heat illness

• hypothermia

• wounds and bleeding

• fractures and sprains

• allergic reactions

• snakebite

• food safety

• emergency communication

• evacuation decisions

• incident reporting

An apprentice cannot be declared competent if essential safety procedures are not demonstrated correctly.

C14. Map Reading, GPS, Mountain Weather and Route Planning

The apprentices develop the skills required to plan and follow routes safely.

They practise:

• understanding map symbols

• estimating distance and time

• using GPS tools

• recording routes

• identifying escape points

• recognising terrain hazards

• interpreting mountain weather

• adapting plans when conditions change

• preparing route and emergency information

C15. Guiding Practice, Guest Care and Responsible Encounters

This module brings together communication, safety, interpretation and practical guiding.

The apprentices learn to:

• welcome and brief visitors

• explain a route

• manage walking pace

• observe guest wellbeing

• interpret culture and landscape

• respond to questions honestly

• handle complaints and uncertainty

• manage respectful encounters

• conclude and review an experience professionally

Stage Four: Enterprise, Management and Leadership

C16. Tourism Business and Entrepreneurship

The apprentices explore how responsible tourism ideas become financially realistic services or enterprises.

They study:

• identifying visitor needs

• designing an experience

• costing and pricing

• income and expenditure

• simple budgeting

• marketing

• customer communication

• ethical sales

• legal responsibilities

• risk and financial honesty

C17. Team Leadership, Project Planning and Reporting

This module prepares the apprentices to organise work and take responsibility for shared outcomes.

They practise:

• assigning roles

• planning tasks

• setting deadlines

• leading meetings

• solving problems

• recording decisions

• monitoring progress

• writing reports

• evaluating results

• giving and receiving professional feedback

Stage Five: Integration and Professional Demonstration

C18. Integrated Capstone and Field Assessment

The final core module requires each apprentice to design, deliver and defend a responsible tourism project.

Possible projects include:

• a responsible visitor experience

• a cultural interpretation or media project

• an improvement to tourism operations

• a small responsible-enterprise pilot

Each apprentice must demonstrate:

• research

• planning

• consent and cultural authority

• safety preparation

• budgeting

• leadership

• practical delivery

• evaluation

• evidence management

• professional presentation

• the ability to answer questions about her decisions

The capstone shows whether the apprentice can combine everything she has learned rather than completing isolated classroom tasks.

Specialist Training

S01. Advanced Trekking and Environmental Interpretation

This specialist module develops higher-level mountain guiding and interpretation skills.

The apprentices learn to:

• plan an interpretive trek

• assess terrain and weather

• identify hazards

• prepare route documentation

• manage a walking group

• interpret landscapes and environmental change

• explain farming and land use responsibly

• adapt communication to different visitors

• respond to changing conditions

• lead a supervised field experience

The final assessment requires each apprentice to plan and lead a supervised interpretive trek.

How the Apprentices Will Learn

Learning Through Practice

The programme does not rely only on classroom teaching.

The apprentices will learn through:

• trainer-led lessons

• practical workshops

• independent study

• online college learning

• English practice

• ETHOS workplace responsibilities

• village visits

• guided field days

• filming and photography projects

• visitor communication

• supervised guiding

• assessments and professional reviews

New skills will be introduced carefully, practised repeatedly and then applied in increasingly realistic situations.

Assessment and Competence

Evidence, Not Attendance Alone

Completing the programme requires more than being present.

Assessment will include:

• written and digital assignments

• practical demonstrations

• role-play and simulations

• presentations

• field observations

• project work

• workplace evidence

• reflective learning records

• formal examinations

• a final capstone project

• professional defence of decisions

ETHOS competency decisions will use three outcomes:

• Not Yet Competent

• Competent

• Competent with Distinction

Where an apprentice is not yet competent, she will receive feedback, further practice and an opportunity for reassessment.

Safety, safeguarding, ethical conduct, consent, financial honesty and evidence integrity remain compulsory requirements. Strong creative work cannot compensate for unsafe or unethical behaviour.

One Programme, Three Different Futures

Pang, Ta May and Sinh will share the same educational foundation, but they will not be expected to follow identical careers.

Over time, each apprentice may develop a stronger interest in areas such as:

• tourism guiding

• cultural interpretation

• photography and video

• hospitality and homestay management

• responsible enterprise

• environmental education

• tourism administration

• project coordination

• community leadership

The purpose of the programme is not to decide their futures for them. It is to give them the knowledge, qualifications, confidence and practical experience needed to make informed choices of their own.