Enterprises need to take a hand in vocational training: VCCI

Mai Lan of Hanoi's Thuong Tin District is the owner of a garment manufacturing company. Her company wanted to expand to other provinces before the New Year and needed to recruit a head of design, marketing manager and some 15 workers.

After a month of recruitment, the company received more than 10 applications, but the quality of the applicants worried Lan.

"They have qualifications and trained in big schools, but their ability to meet work requirements is not high," she said.

According to data from the General Department of Vocational Education, in recent years the rate of secondary and high school students entering vocational schools has remained low, at 8-10 percent.

Vietnam has an abundant and young workforce. In 2017 it numbered 54.4 million, accounting for 57 percent of the population. The ratio of workers aged 15 and above was 67.9 percent. This is the age group with the potential to acquire new knowledge and skills to improve the quality of human resources and labor productivity in Vietnam.

According to economists, to mitigate the lack of quality human resources, businesses can actively tie up with vocational centers and schools.

Vu Tien Loc, president of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said labor training should be associated with companies’ production activities.

"Enterprises need to become investors, people who orient education, orient careers and participate in the process of developing the contents of vocational training programs, creating a basis for vocational students to come to companies."