The quality of human resources in Kien Giang province has been remarkably improved in recent years. The rate of trained workers and employed workers has increased steadily over the years. The labor structure has been shifted to expand industrial and service sectors and shrink agriculture, thus helping boost local socioeconomic development and meet labor market demands.
Besides vocational training, TVET facilities in Kien Giang province focus on career consultancy for graduates
In the photo: Career counseling and guidance at Kien Giang College
Developing vocational education system
Currently, Kien Giang has 31 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) facilities, including three colleges, six intermediate schools, 12 district-level centers and 10 companies/agencies engaged in TVET. They provide a wide range of training professions with 49 branches and occupations at college level and 65 at intermediate level, covering the following fields: economy and society, technology, hospitality services, healthcare, culture and others.
TVET facilities have basically met local teaching and learning needs and helped improve the quality and scale of human resources. The workforce is being increasingly expanded day by day. In 2016-2020, the province enrolled and trained nearly 130,000 students, with 85% being employed after their graduation. The rate of certified trained workers is 50%.
Career counseling and guidance for workers is also fostered in many forms. In 2016-2020, more than 190,000 people got job counseling and recommendations. In particular, in response to market-based training trends, the province has directed TVET facilities to promote cooperation with enterprises; encouraged the latter to participate in vocational training or to cooperate with the former to recruit and train workers.
Dang Hong Son, Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Kien Giang province, said that the Resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress (2020-2025 term) defines that “Developing and improving the quality of human resources” is one of three strategic breakthrough stages. The department advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decision No. 1686/QD-UBND dated July 5, 2022 on Action Program for implementation of the TVET Development Strategy in 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045. The program will consolidate the school network for higher training quality and meet development needs.
In 2021-2025, Kien Giang will support, complete and ensure the performance of TVET facilities; recruit, train and re-training about 115,000 people to raise the rate of employed trained workers to over 85%. The province will increase the scale of vocational education enrollments at college, intermediate and elementary levels and gradually reduce vocational training under three months.
In addition, the province will encourage and facilitate organizations and individuals to take part in TVET in highly socialized industries, fields and areas and train high-quality human resources. Notably, Kien Giang province and its Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs coordinated with the General Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Phu Quoc City-based companies to organize the 2022 Enrollment Day with more than 200 delegates from organizations, enterprises, and vocational training schools in Kien Giang and other provinces; and worked with vocational training colleges and schools, the Phu Quoc Tourism Association to sign cooperation with companies in Phu Quoc on vocational training and human resource supply.
Besides, in order to improve employment rate, the Kien Giang Employment Service Center has strengthened coordination with TVET facilities to organize trading sessions, counsel and guide occupations and professions towards social needs and development trends; provide information on labor market and support policies. It also built a website for labor, employment and vocational training matters at https://laodongvieclam.kiengiang.gov.vn
Efforts for higher "Labor Training" Index
“Labor training” is an important indicator, meaningful for measuring and fostering vocational training, developing skills, creating jobs for workers, and supporting enterprises to take initiative in human resources and develop local industries.
According to the performance report on the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2021, the "Labor Training" Index of Kien Giang province was 4.78 points, down 0.75 points from 2020, ranked No. 59 out of 63 provinces and cities. This index has 11 sub-indices, with six ranked high and average (the percentage of surveyed companies that rated the local TVET was good ranked 7th out of 63 provinces and cities) and some indices rated low. The underperformance was attributed to the large mobility of unskilled workers in the province the past year because of the Covid-19 epidemic. Southern provinces adopted social distancing measures and many workers abandoned their jobs to go home while graduated students and apprentices still lack professional working manners, labor discipline and soft skills. Besides, the boom of business establishments, particularly in Phu Quoc, resulted in insufficient worker supplies in the locality and forced employers to recruit workers from other provinces. This was also partly a reason why many companies had to invest in employee training or re-training, leading to a rise in labor training cost in total business costs.
To overcome these limitations to increase the performance of "Labor Training" Index and to attract more investment fund, in the coming time, the Kien Giang Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will further strengthen vocational guidance and career counseling and provide market-needed vocational training to make sure that graduated trainees are employed. The department will also invite businesses to take part in training program development and appraisal.
Furthermore, the agency will increase the rate of trained workers, focus on fostering skills and behaviors for employees; advise on appropriate mechanisms and policies to encourage vocational training; diversify training subjects and occupations, with attention given to diversifying occupations that the market needs.
In addition, it will promote information and communications, implement socialization policies, encourage organizations, individuals and enterprises to invest in establishing or participating in TVET activities; consult and introduce jobs to workers in many forms, including job/career days.
| Kien Giang focuses on training highly qualified human resources, with priority given to science and technology, information technology, biotechnology, processing technology, high-tech agriculture and other fields highlighted in local socioeconomic development programs. |
In July 2022, Kien Giang province held a business dialogue in Phu Quoc City in a bid to seek solutions for a better investment and business environment and higher competitiveness of Kien Giang province, including contents regarding supply of human resources. The event was attended by more than 80 businesses.
“The above solutions will be a solid foundation for Kien Giang to develop comprehensively and sustainably, promote its role as one of socioeconomic locomotives and create spillovers for Southwestern key economic region in particular and the whole country in general," said Director Dang Hong Son of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.
By Ngoc Han
Source: Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
