Education
Vietnam & Japanese prefecture to strengthen human resources development
  • | VET | August 15, 2019 09:06 AM
The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and representatives from Nagano Prefecture in Japan signed an MoU on cooperation in human resources development on August 14.



MoU signed between Vietnam and Nagano Prefecture on promoting cooperation in human resources development, particularly in tourism and health.


The MoU will establish a framework for bilateral cooperation in promoting exchanges and cooperation in sending Vietnamese trainees and workers in the fields of tourism and medical services to Nagano.


Life expectancy in Nagano is among the highest in the world, according to Governor Abe Shuichi. The aging of the local population, however, has created a shortage of workers, especially in healthcare for the elderly and in tourism. Nagano has cooperated with Vietnam in many sectors, especially in agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. There are some 3,400 Vietnamese people now living and working in the prefecture and local authorities now hope to intensify human resources cooperation and increase the number of Vietnamese workers in Nagano.

Nagano has a host of policies to support foreign workers, such as housing and support centers with Vietnamese-speaking staff.

Nagano will organize a jobs fair early next year to introduce Vietnamese to the prefecture and the job opportunities available, according to Governor Abe.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung emphasized that foreign workers, especially those from Vietnam, are an important additional source of labor in Japan. They are appreciated by Japan as a result of the efforts of the government and local enterprises in training programs to send them to the country.

On August 13, the Ministry of Health also signed an MoU on human resources development in medical training with Japan’s International University of Health and Welfare (IUHW), opening fully-funded scholarship opportunities for Vietnamese students to study at the school and work in Japan.

Under the MoU, in the five years of cooperation, IUHW will grant an annual maximum of 10 scholarships to Vietnamese students majoring in community health, nursing, physical therapy, healthcare management, and social services, among others. After graduating, scholarship recipients will work for IUHW health facilities in Japan or Vietnam for a minimum period equaling their study time in Japan.

IUHW will also organize short-term training courses for Ministry of Health officials to enhance their capacity in health management as well as health and social security policies.

Vietnam has sent more than 250,000 trainees to practice and work in Japan, according to MoLISA. The total sent in 2018 stood at nearly 70,000, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the number of foreign trainees in the country. There are nearly 200,000 Vietnamese trainees in Japan, and Vietnam also sends thousands of technicians to the country every year.

Leave your comment on this story