Shaping high-quality workforce training hub

Dong Nai is entering a new phase of investment attraction, with high-tech enterprises among the city's top priorities. The operations of these enterprises not only generate greater added value for the economy but also contribute to sustainable development.

Students from Dong Nai Technology University complete internships at an enterprise. Photo: Cong Nghia

According to domestic and international experts, stepping up efforts to attract high-tech enterprises is no easy task. In addition to well-developed infrastructure and an open, favorable policy environment, a key prerequisite is having a workforce that is sufficient in both quantity and quality.

Balancing quantity and quality

Dong Nai City currently has four multidisciplinary universities: Dong Nai University, Lac Hong University, Dong Nai Technology University, and Mien Dong Innovative Technology University. Over the past year alone, three more universities have established training campuses in Dong Nai, including the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering branch in Binh Phuoc Ward, the Ho Chi Minh City Open University branch in Long Hung Ward, and the Dong Nai Campus of the University of Finance - Marketing in Tam Hiep Ward.

Meanwhile, following several rounds of restructuring and streamlining, Dong Nai City now has eight colleges, three of which are non-public institutions. Although the public college system is relatively large, training quality remains a gap that needs to be addressed. Many of these colleges are located on valuable land in strategically advantageous areas. Therefore, improving the quality of training, particularly at colleges receiving state budget support, is essential.

According to representatives of many enterprises, the quantity and quality of human resources trained by universities and colleges in Dong Nai remain uneven, with a particular shortage of institutions capable of providing truly high-quality, breakthrough training. Many enterprises currently have to spend considerable time and money on recruitment and additional training after hiring. Their biggest challenge in Dong Nai is recruiting qualified local workers in the technology and engineering fields. As a result, in addition to seeking personnel locally, businesses have had to expand recruitment efforts and attract graduates from universities in Ho Chi Minh City.

The shortage of highly qualified workers is expected to persist and become more acute as Long Thanh International Airport and new-generation industrial parks begin operations. According to representatives of Long Thanh International Airport, the airport is urgently stepping up recruitment in preparation for trial operations. Priority is being given to local residents, particularly children of households that previously gave up their land for the airport project. However, the number of local workers with the required qualifications and professional expertise remains very limited.

Representatives of KN Holdings in Dong Nai said that three new-generation industrial parks developed by the group are expected to become operational in the coming years. Two of them, Bau Can-Tan Hiep Industrial Park and Xuan Que-Song Nhan Industrial Park, are located near Long Thanh International Airport. The group is therefore strengthening cooperation with universities and colleges to prepare a pool of highly qualified workers to supply investors establishing factories and production facilities in these industrial parks.

Building a strong workforce training brand

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Thanh Hien, Rector of Lac Hong University in Tran Bien Ward, said the university currently has significant opportunities to expand its training activities as demand for highly qualified workers in Dong Nai continues to rise. Dong Nai is also located near Ho Chi Minh City, one of the country's leading dynamic economic centers. Despite the expanding opportunities to train and supply human resources, building a strong university brand is no easy task. It requires strategic steps that closely follow the development needs of the city and the wider region.

Recently, the Politburo assigned the Government Party Committee to lead and direct the restructuring and reorganization of public higher education institutions. The plan calls for studying measures to reduce the number of public higher education institutions by at least 20% and public vocational education institutions by at least 30%.

To capitalize on the "golden opportunities" to attract and train human resources in the coming period, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Thanh Hien said the university has fundamentally changed its approach over the years, shifting from "training what we have" to "training what enterprises need." Every year, the university surveys market demand and labor forecasts in various sectors. At present, it is focusing on strategic fields such as information technology, artificial intelligence, electronics, mechanical engineering, and automation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Phan Ngoc Son, Rector of Dong Nai University of Technology, said building a reputable university brand is extremely difficult but must be pursued with determination. "When a university has a strong brand, students, businesses, and society as a whole benefit, contributing to the development of the city and, more broadly, the country," he said. Universities in the locality, therefore, need greater support from the authorities, particularly through land and financial policies.

In Dong Nai, restructuring public education institutions, especially the system of vocational colleges, has become an urgent task. According to education and training experts, although Dong Nai has a relatively large number of colleges, the system has yet to achieve sufficient strength in terms of training quality. In recent years, a number of vocational schools have focused heavily on general education programs under the continuing education system, or combined general education with vocational training. As a result, these institutions have not been able to devote sufficient attention to improving the quality of formal vocational training.

Experts also said Dong Nai needs to restructure its vocational college system toward greater streamlining and specialization, with each institution developing training programs based on its own strengths. The city should direct colleges to provide specialized training in fields where businesses have the greatest demand, rather than allowing different institutions to offer largely identical programs. At the same time, stronger cooperation between educational institutions and businesses is needed so that students can gain early exposure to real-world workplaces and the labor market, helping them adapt to employment requirements even before they graduate.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho