Improving vocational skills for workers  

The Institute of Strategic Studies and the Labor and Trade Union Magazine under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has just conducted a survey of 10 enterprises in Dong Nai regarding sustainable employment for workers. The survey shows that the vocational skills of workers in some enterprises are still limited.

Workers during production hours at Terumo Vietnam Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. (in Long Thanh district).

To ensure sustainable employment, workers need to enhance their vocational skills to meet the production requirements of enterprises in the era of Industry 4.0.

Equipping skills and industrial work ethic

The survey of 10 enterprises shows that from 2024 to now, enterprises have restored orders, developed production, and created stable jobs for workers. This is a positive signal for workers to increase their income and improve their lives. However, limitations in legal knowledge, professional qualifications, skills, and industrial work ethic make it difficult for workers to find jobs.

At Koikeya Vietnam Co., Ltd. (in Long Thanh district, 100% Japanese-owned, specializing in the production and business of snack products), over the years, the training and enhancement of vocational skills for workers have always been a priority for the enterprise, leading to many positive changes in awareness and skill quality, making an important contribution to the sustainable development of the enterprise. Particularly, many workers have been sent by the enterprise to Japan to learn experience; their skills have quickly adapted and smoothly operated modern production lines.

Pham Minh Hoang, Chairman of the company's grassroots union, said that the company currently has 300 workers. With the proactive approach of the enterprise in providing opportunities for workers to learn and enhance their skills, the human resources in enterprises generally meet job positions, especially in automated production lines. However, for newly hired workers, their skills only meet 40% of job requirements.

According to union officials, enhancing labor skills will increase the quality and efficiency of labor. Therefore, training, fostering, and preparing skilled labor is the "key" to improving labor productivity.

Hoang shared that some workers coming to work at the company, despite graduating from vocational schools, lack practical skills and experience with machines. The enterprise invites vocational training experts and hands-on operating training, and fortunately, after learning the skills, workers have all improved their job efficiency and remained committed to the enterprise for a long time.

Currently, many enterprises are willing to pay high salaries to attract skilled workers with solid expertise to meet job requirements.

Tran Thi My Hang, human resources staff at Anh Nghia ANCL Co., Ltd. (in Trang Bom district), said that the enterprise is recruiting skilled mechanical workers to meet production orders for 2025. However, the recruitment of workers is very challenging.

“With the precision mechanical processing sector, the enterprise needs to recruit workers for positions such as mechanical engineers, technical workers, and machine operators... The enterprise has a policy of 2 days off on Saturdays per month, high seniority allowances from 400-500 thousand VND per month, and many other benefits commensurate with workers' abilities. However, through interviews, it shows that the actual competence and experience of workers do not meet the job position requirements as well as the needs of the enterprise,” said Ms. Hang.

Long-term strategies needed

In the past five years, various levels and sectors have implemented many flexible and modern employment solutions in line with integration trends, gradually shifting unskilled labor to specialized labor with high technical qualifications. However, alongside workers quickly adapting to production technology and meeting enterprise needs, many still face limitations in vocational skills and have not actively pursued learning to enhance their professional qualifications.

The survey results from the Institute of Strategic Studies and the Labor and Trade Union Magazine on the knowledge and professional qualifications of workers show that in labor-intensive industries in 2024,The rate of workers with a high school diploma accounts for 66.2%. The proportion of workers in the textile, electronics, and leather and footwear industries with professional qualifications and skills is also lower than in other occupations. Among them, 56% of workers are untrained, over 22% have intermediate qualifications, and more than 10% hold college and university degrees. Many university graduates cannot find jobs in their field of study, so they have to work as laborers.

At the Job Exchange held recently for the first time in 2024, there was a paradox regarding labor supply and demand: although many unemployed workers came looking for jobs, companies still could not hire workers. According to businesses, the reason is that workers lack the skills needed to work in an industrial environment, making it difficult to fill job positions; at the same time, many older workers lack skills. Therefore, despite many workers searching for jobs, companies are still short of labor.

Some businesses reported that recruiting workers is challenging for them due to the knowledge, qualifications, and skills of workers not meeting job requirements. Therefore, alongside the efforts and determination of workers, vocational training institutions need to enhance and innovate training programs, facilities and equipment, management models, and collaborate with businesses to train skilled labor.

In addition, there should be increased investment in high-quality vocational schools to focus on training key and specialized professions... This requires synchronized and effective solutions from localities, schools, businesses, and workers to meet the goal of sustainable development with three basic pillars: labor skills, decent jobs, and sustainable social welfare.

The Chairman of the Trade Union of Tokin Electronic Co., Ltd. (Bien Hoa City) Phan Toi Tho Hiep stated that in the trend of the current 4.0 industrial revolution, workers must have qualifications and solid skills to compete for jobs. Along with that, there is the need for industrial attitudes, labor discipline, and proactive exploration and creativity in production labor. 

Reported by Lan Mai