Preparing workforce for a modern urban area

Urbanization is opening up new development space for Dong Nai. However, to turn its advantages in location and infrastructure into drivers of sustainable growth, developing a workforce capable of meeting the demands of a modern city is becoming an urgent task.

Workers at FTT Vina Co., Ltd. in Binh Loc Ward during working hours.

Dong Nai has many advantages for developing new growth poles based on Long Thanh International Airport, interregional transport infrastructure, industry, logistics and services. But for these advantages to be fully leveraged, people must be regarded as one of the decisive resources.

Rising demand for labor

Preparing the workforce for the city plays an important role in building a labor force with the necessary skills, discipline, technological capabilities and the ability to quickly adapt to market changes.

Notably, large-scale projects now taking shape are also creating new demand for workers, particularly highly skilled personnel. Long Thanh International Airport alone is expected to require nearly 14,000 workers for a wide range of positions related to airport operations, services and commercial activities. Several large-scale urban development projects will also need tens of thousands of workers during implementation. For example, the Aqua City project is expected to recruit nearly 15,000 workers, ranging from general laborers to university graduates.

According to a report from the Department of Home Affairs, businesses in Dong Nai will need more than 183,000 workers across various sectors and occupations in 2026, including mechanical engineering, electronics, automation, logistics, information technology, construction and urban operations management. In the first eight months of 2026 alone, more than 105,800 people found jobs, exceeding 105% of the annual target. In addition to general workers, many businesses are recruiting skilled and technical workers. This underscores the need for well-trained human resources capable of meeting job requirements.

Recent job fairs show that mechanical engineering, electronics, construction and garment manufacturing are among the sectors with high demand. Average starting salaries have been recorded at more than VND8 million per person per month. Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, a human resources specialist at VFM Trading and Production Co., Ltd. in Ho Nai Ward, said the company is currently facing difficulties in recruiting workers. In addition to a shortage of general laborers, it is also difficult to recruit skilled and technical workers, while some candidates do not yet meet job requirements. At the same time, demand for workers to support expanding production continues to increase.

Preparing a high-quality workforce

Politburo Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW, dated July 21, 2026, on building and developing Dong Nai City through 2035, with a vision to 2065, identifies a range of important tasks to create breakthroughs in urban, infrastructure and socio-economic development. Among them, Long Thanh Airport City and the Dong Nai River corridor have been identified as areas with a key role in creating new development drivers. Urban development will inevitably lead to rising demand for human resources.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Mai Xuan Tuan, Dong Nai is one of the country's major industrial centers. Along with the rapid development of industrial parks and industrial clusters, the need for human resources, particularly a flexible and highly qualified workforce,  has become increasingly urgent. The scale of the workforce that needs to be prepared in the coming years will be substantial, requiring the labor market to be organized proactively and flexibly and to be closely aligned with socio-economic development needs.

Under the Resolution of the First Dong Nai City Party Congress for the 2025-2030 tenure, the city aims to have approximately 2.6 million employed workers in the economy by 2030. To achieve this target, Dong Nai aims to create jobs for approximately 500,000 people during 2026-2030.

As part of the special 500-day-and-night emulation campaign, “Unity – Discipline – Efficiency – Breakthrough, Building a Civilized and Modern Dong Nai,” the city is focusing on measures to develop the labor market, improve workforce quality, expand employment opportunities and strengthen the application of digital technology in labor and employment services. The Department of Home Affairs has directed the Dong Nai Employment Service Center to step up measures to connect labor supply and demand, support businesses in recruitment and help workers find suitable jobs. These efforts are contributing to the development of a workforce capable of meeting the city's socio-economic development requirements.

At a human resources exchange event between students and Japanese businesses in Dong Nai City held late last month, business representatives said that workforce preparation is one of the key conditions for Dong Nai to realize its goals of industrial development and modern urban development. As businesses accelerate investment, expand production, apply new technologies and transform management methods, the demand for workers with professional qualifications, vocational skills and adaptability is becoming increasingly urgent.

Nguyen Thi Huyen, who is in charge of human resources at YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Phuoc An Commune, said the shift toward new production technologies requires workers to be equipped with professional knowledge, digital skills, foreign-language proficiency, industrial work practices and the ability to work in an internationally connected environment. “This will provide an important foundation for workers to seize employment opportunities while helping businesses improve their competitiveness and creating momentum for Dong Nai's urban development in the years ahead,” she said.

Pham Thi Bay, Communications Team Leader at Lilama 2 International Technology College in Long Phuoc Commune, said the school is focusing on training occupations that meet workforce needs at Long Thanh International Airport as well as those of businesses across the city. In particular, amid growing demand for workers in technology-related fields, the college is expanding training programs and updating learners' knowledge and skills. For unemployed workers, the school provides retraining and upskilling programs that update their knowledge and technological skills, helping them improve their capabilities and adapt to labor market requirements.

In reality, as industrial parks, urban areas, services and transport infrastructure continue to expand, Dong Nai will attract more workers from other areas. Therefore, social welfare and public transport systems need to be planned in coordination with urban development plans and production areas. The city needs to create a stable, convenient, safe and high-quality living environment. This is an important factor in building a modern, civilized city where workers can feel secure in their jobs and establish long-term ties to the locality.

By Nguyen Hoa – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho