Vietnam lacks both highly qualified professionals and skilled workers, which pose difficulties for the country’s socio-economic development, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The government leader spoke with young people who represent 25 million members of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union at the organisation’s10th National Congress meeting on December 14.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

According to the PM, Vietnam’s current population had reached 88 million people, including 60 million people of working age. This golden population period is forecast to last for 30-35 years.

The proportion of the population of working age has reached 46%, but only 8% of them have graduated from colleges or universities. This rate is much lower than many countries in Asia, with the figures standing at Malaysia 20.1% and Thailand 14.2% respectively.

By the end of 2011, for every 10,000 Vietnamese people, 250 were students. Meanwhile, by the end of 2005, the rate was up to 374 in Thailand. Vietnam also has a training imbalance. The average rate in the world is one university per four vocational training schools per 10 skilled manual workers. In Vietnam, the rate is one university per 1.3 vocational training schools and just 0.9 skilled manual workers.

The prime minister also noted that the government had approved budget for the construction of vocational training centres. However, due to economic difficulties, budget allocation remains slow.

“I will pay more attention to checking and allocating the budget for the approved programmes. I hope that agencies will implement and operate them to create more jobs for young people,” PM Dung emphasised.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union should focus on setting up centres to provide jobs for young people as well as offering career advice, he urged.

Policies to attract overseas students considered

Associate Professor Bui The Duy, Deputy Director of Vietnam Youth Academy, pointed out that many Vietnamese students who studied abroad were hesitant about returning to the country. Besides low incomes, they were also afraid that they will not be offered the chance for fully develop their abilities.

Regarding this, PM Dung affirmed that Vietnam desperately needed professionals and skilled workers, adding that Vietnam will issue more policies to lure Vietnamese students overseas.