Vietnam Economic Forum: vocational training needed to adapt to new normal

Developing a skilled workforce should be considered an important pillar to help the country adapt to the new normal and the national economy quickly recover from the recession and grow intensively and sustainably, heard a session of the Vietnam Economic Forum 2021 on December 5.

Truong Anh Dung, head of the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affaris, said although Vietnam is in the golden population period, there still remains various limitations regarding workforce quality.

Among 55 million labourers, only 24.5 percent own degrees and certificates, he further explained, noting that Vietnam would miss out on opportunities brought by the golden population if the country takes no actions to speed up investment in developing skilled human resources.

Dung suggested pushing ahead with vocational training and extending the duration of the policy on providing vocational training for the unemployed using the unemployment insurance fund for another one or two years, among other solutions.

For the middle-and long terms, it is necessary to develop an open, flexible, effective and integrated vocational training system, and pay more heed to job and training forecasting, he said.