Business-school ties help train workers

More than 70 per cent of labourers working at industrial zones in the city are from other provinces and mostly unskilled.- Photo danviet.vn

“Thanks to the course, I have chances to practise my technical skills and get more experience,” he said.

The enterprise and the school launched the collaboration to equip students with practical skills that match business requirements.

Thiện and 17 other students taking the course hope that after graduation they will be offered a position at the company.

Lap Phuc mould-making company is one of domestic ones in HCM City to co-operate with universities and colleges to launch training courses for students to attract skilled graduates.

Small domestic firms in HCM City lack skilled labour due to more attractive foreign direct investment firms and workers moving overseas.

Nguyen Van Tri, director of Lap Phuc Company, told Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) that after spending time training labourers, many workers left their jobs.

“The labour force plays a key role in ensuring sustainable development of enterprises. We (enterprises) have no choice but to actively lead training high-quality labour force for ourselves,” he said.

Lap Phuc Company is also working with Nguyen Tat Thanh University to train hundreds of mechanics students and is also holding factory visits for students.

According to a survey, more than 70 per cent of labourers working at industrial zones in the city are from other provinces and mostly unskilled. It is difficult to have a stable training plan because the number of labourers fluctuates, Tri said.

Authorities-company-school

Trí suggested the city authorities co-operate with schools in the city and other localities to offer training to more workers.

“Enterprises themselves must offer stable wages to attract skilled labourers,” he said.

Nguyen Trong Hoai, principal of HCM City’s Economics University, said that HCM City’s authorities should train workers not only for the city but for the whole country and ASEAN region.

He proposed the city follow the model of developed countries in which authorities take a leading role in lining schools and enterprises to train high-quality workers in key sectors.

Local authorities should also link schools with industrial zones and encourage sectors to announce the number of skilled labourers they need.

Su Ngoc Anh, director of the city’s Department of Planning and Investment, said that the city will focus on measures to improve labourers’ skills for not only short-term production but also long term technological development targets.

A trendy collaboration

Co-operation between local apprenticeship centres and enterprises also occurs in central Quang Nam Province.

Sixteen local apprenticeship centres have launched training courses at school and offer on-the-job training at local enterprises so students can get used to the working environment and technology.

By the end of this year, the province aims to have more than 20,000 new workers who graduated from apprentice schools, making the number of skilled workers in the province account for nearly 60 per cent of its total workforce.

Phạm Hai Anh, head of Student Affairs of Economic and Technical College of Quang Nam Province, said the school has trained students following the direction of enterprises. Companies have also worked with the school to compile training curriculums.

Hoi An South Development Limited Company and the provincial culture, art and tourism intermediate school have worked together to offer hotel and tourism service training to locals.

According to the local Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, sectors of textiles, mechanics, hotel and restaurant services offer the highest number of jobs for local people.