In order to realize the goals of socio-economic development and attracting investment, An Giang province has constantly strived to build a skilled and professional workforce. Vietnam Business Forum reporter had a number of discussions with Mr. Chau Van Ly, Director of the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs of An Giang province.
Can you tell me how the network of vocational education institutions in An Giang province has changed to meet the needs of learners and the labor market?
In order to streamline and improve the operational efficiency of public vocational education institutions, synchronously with the strategy, master plan, socio-economic development plan and human resource development plan of the province, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has regularly reviewed and advised the Provincial People's Committee to promulgate the Scheme to arrange the network of vocational education institutions in An Giang province by 2025; in 2021, An Giang General - Technical Intermediate School was established through merging 3 schools: Chau Doc Vocational School, Tan Chau Vocational School; An Giang Economic - Technical Intermediate School. The Department also reviewed and revoked the registration certificates of vocational education activities at the primary level of 4 units that had not met the conditions for vocational education activities as prescribed.
Up to now, the province has 28 vocational education institutes, including: 2 colleges, 3 intermediate schools, 10 vocational education centers and 13 other institutions participating in vocational training. Most of the districts, towns and cities in the province have at least 1 public vocational education institution, meeting the demand for quality, qualification structure, training professions for socio-economic development of the locality; creating favorable conditions for most people who need vocational training to be able to participate in vocational training, especially rural workers, female workers, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, contributing to raising the trained labor rate of the localities meeting the new rural standards.
In addition to training, creating jobs for employees is also a very important task, especially after the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has this issue been paid attention by An Giang?
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has affected recruitment and vocational training; most of the facilities of intermediate schools and public centers of vocational education - continuing education have been requisitioned as concentrated isolation areas, field hospitals for treatment of asymptomatic F0 COVID-19 cases. However, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has promptly directed colleges, intermediate schools and vocational training centers to actively adjust training plans and progress; researching and reducing unnecessary content in the training program; promoting the application of information technology to training organizations, flexibly applying training forms, online testing and examination forms combined with face-to-face training: subdividing practice groups, transferring graduate internship activities from enterprises to schools, making the most of direct training time in order to ensure training quality and creating favorable conditions in testing and examination to keep up with graduation progress for pupils and students.
Entrepreneurship and Job Fair for rural youth in 2020
At the same time, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has strengthened the implementation of policies on training, fostering and improving vocational skills to maintain jobs for employees according to Decision 23/2021/QD-TTg dated on July 7th, 2021 of the Prime Minister stipulating the implementation of a number of policies to support employees and employers facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to now, 7 decisions have been issued, 6 enterprises have been supported to train 1,272 employees, with a budget of VND 5,856.9 million.
Since the beginning of the year, the province has recruited 7,222 people for vocational training, mainly at elementary level and under 3 months. In particular, it has supported vocational training for rural workers with 1,065 trainees, with a budget of VND1,044 million; regarding training, fostering and improving vocational skills to maintain jobs according to Decision 23/2021/QD-TTg, it has issued 4 Decisions on training for 1,034 students, 4 enterprises, with a budget of VND4,653 million; supporting vocational training for workers participating in unemployment insurance with 888 students and the amount of VND1,146 million.
Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected production and business activities of enterprises; companies must reduce the working hours and working days of employees, conducting layoffs or agreeing to suspend labor contracts or take unpaid leave. In order to promptly support training and job creation for employees as well as businesses, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has focused on implementing solutions to support enterprises in training to improve vocational skills and create jobs for employees. The Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council a draft Resolution on entrusting the provincial budget capital to An Giang Branch of Bank for Social Policies to lend money to the Employment Support Program, maintaining and expanding employment in 2022; implementing solutions to support job creation for employees in the province. It has strengthened the work of sending laborers to work abroad under contracts; supporting workers to return to the labor market as well as supporting employers to recover and develop production and business to create jobs for employees; promoting the organization of job sessions to connect labor supply - demand, creating a bridge between employees and employers to recruit workers. In the first 5 months of 2022, over 100 laborers went to work abroad; The Provincial Employment Service Center (under the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) coordinated to organize 6 points and clusters of job connection counseling in the districts of Cho Moi, Chau Thanh, Chau Phu, and Tri Ton, and organized 1 job session in Phu Tan district with 84 enterprises and over 1,312 employees.
How will the province pay attention to the solution to strengthen links with enterprises in training and job creation, sir?
The province is calling for businesses to invest in high-tech industrial and agricultural fields, contributing to improving the quality of the province's highly skilled human resources. In the coming time, the province will strengthen coordination with enterprises to promote the implementation of vocational training in association with orders, production, business, and high-tech farming models of local enterprises.
It will strengthen propaganda in various forms on guidelines and policies to support vocational training and job creation; promoting and informing about training plans and training trends of vocational education institutes to enterprises. It will strengthen support for enterprises to recruit workers through various channels such as: Organizing job sessions; posting information about the recruitment needs of enterprises on newspapers, radio, and website of the Employment Service Center of An Giang province http://ttvlangiang.gov.vn to connect with the labor market of neighboring provinces; creating a connection between employees and employers.
It will investigate, survey, collect and identify training needs and occupations suitable in terms of number and structure of occupations, associated with socio-economic development planning and the needs of organizations and individuals and enterprises within the province, outside the province, and abroad; encouraging and supporting enterprises and individuals that employ workers to participate in vocational training for employees; firmly grasping the labor demand of production and business establishments, the job search needs of employees in the area to take the initiative in labor sources, contributing to supporting enterprises to recover and develop production and business activities.
Thank you very much!
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi