From barriers to agency: policy lessons from e-learning tourism vocational training for rural women in Vietnam

This study investigates how structural inputs and contextual barriers influence learning engagement, skill gain, and employment outcomes among rural women participating in e-learning tourism vocational training. Drawing on the survey data from 390 women in the Mekong Delta Vietnam, the research develops and empirically tests a structural model linking digital access, content quality, and trainer support to learning engagement and decent work outcomes. Using the logic model framework, the study identifies both direct and moderating effects of support policies and socio-cultural barriers. Findings underscore that input factors play a critical role in enhancing rural women’s learning engagement and post-training employment. Moreover, policy and cultural contexts significantly moderate these relationships, shaping women’s digital inclusion and work readiness. The study advances theoretical understanding of digital capacity building in marginalised settings. It offers practical policy implications for designing flexible, gender-responsive, and sustainable vocational programmes that align with Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 8.