How to train skilled labourers who are also capable of speaking foreign languages and have knowledge of cultures and laws of foreign countries is a decisive factor for Vietnam’s labour export sector. Last year, despite facing bad impacts caused by the global economic crisis, Vietnam has reached its target to send 85,000 labourers abroad.
In 2008, Vietnam still maintained its labour export activities to traditional export markets and made positive changes in some new markets such as South Korea and Taiwan. Particularly, Vietnam sent over 12,000 new labourers and 6,000 re-recruited labourers. As for the Japanese market, besides via business cooperation programmes, Vietnam opened a non-profit programme. Accordingly, workers do not have to pay fees before being sent to the country, expected to raise the total number of Vietnamese workers sent to Japan to 6,000 this year. Vietnam has also sent workers to some emerging markets of Brunei, Singapore and nations in the Middle East including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Arabia Saudi. The country will pilot the project to export labourers to high-income markets of Australia, the U.S., Canada, Finland and Italy. Vietnam has also sent its workers to Russia, SNG countries, Republic of Czech, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Rumania.
Vietnam’s labour export markets develop labour management systems such as representative offices and labour management cardres. To date, Vietnam has established seven labour representative and management boards in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Republic of Czech, UAE and Qatar to timely detect and deal with problems facing local labourers. The number of labourers who stopped labour contracts for other jobs in South Korea and Japan has sharply fallen over the past few years. Previously, the rate of Vietnamese students in South Korea and Japan drops to 2 per cent currently to the previous level of 20-30 per cent.
According to the Overseas Labour Cooperation Company (LOD) and the Ministry of Transport, if labour exporters find good markets and train skilled workers, they will minimise risks for local workers. At present, the company have offered initial consultancy for labourers who end labour export contracts. Nguyen Xuan Vui, General Director of Air Services Supply Joint Stock Company (Airseco) said, it is important to improve labour quality to affirm Vietnamese labourers’ image in the world market. This year and in the years to come, the company will pay attention to UAE and Arabia Saudi. In these markets, most of Vietnamese workers earn the monthly income of VND8-VND10 and offered three free meals day. The Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (Molisa) said, Vietnam will continue maintaining the cooperation with its traditional markets such as Malaysia, Taiwan and the Middle East to raise the labour export number and also explore new markets to help its labourers get higher income.
Over the past time, the Molisa have helped enterprises to find labourers. Businesses find foreign partners, understand the market demand and coordination with local vocational training schools to focus on training labourers for sectors which are facing labour shortage. At present, many companies eyes this model. Some join hands with Slovakia to train workers under the Slovakia’s technology. After finish the courses, Slovakia will check and grant license for the learners. To date, just the Molisa has piloted the pilot training project.
Xuan Long
Vietnamese
