This article examines workforce adaptation and skills gaps in public museums through the case of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, within the broader context of digital transformation and the shift toward audience-centred cultural institutions. Drawing on skills mismatch theory, competency-based human resource development (HRD), museum studies, and public-sector management literature, the study conceptualizes the skills gap as an institutionally embedded phenomenon rather than a purely individual deficiency. Using a qualitative case study approach based on policy documents, institutional reports, and academic literature, the analysis identifies five major areas of skills gaps: (1) the transition from specialized to multi-functional professional roles, (2) digital competence, (3) audience engagement and museum education, (4) curatorial and interpretive capacity, and (5) institutional and HRD capacity. These gaps reflect a growing misalignment between emerging competency requirements—such as digital literacy, public communication, experiential learning, and adaptive management—and existing workforce capacities shaped by traditional training models and public-sector employment structures. The findings show that public museums face not only technical and professional challenges but also institutional constraints related to recruitment systems, job classifications, financial autonomy, and training mechanisms. In response, the article proposes a strategic HRD framework that emphasizes competency modeling, continuous skills assessment, organizational learning, and cross-sector collaboration. The study contributes to the literature by extending skills mismatch theory into the cultural sector and by introducing the concept of the institutionally embedded skills gap. It also provides practical implications for workforce development and policy reform in Vietnam and similar Global South public-sector cultural contexts. 

Keywords: Digital transformation, Human resource development (HRD), Public museums, Skills gap, Vietnam.