Japan and ADB Eye New Approach to Skills Training in Viet Nam
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are helping poor and ethnic minorities of Viet Nam develop skills that will boost their chances in the job market or enable them to launch small businesses. The Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction is extending a $1.3 million grant to be managed by ADB for a project that will pilot a new approach to skills training for some 4,000 individuals in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang, the two poorest provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta in Viet Nam. “The crucial feature of the project is identifying opportunities for sustainable employment before training courses are organized and delivered. The project will link skills training directly to employment and income generation,” said Yasushi Hirosato, Senior Education Specialist of ADB’s Southeast Asia Department. The changing nature of rural employment makes identifying standard skill requirements more difficult, which means skills training delivery will have to be flexible and adapted to the needs of target groups. The Mekong River Delta region comprises 13 provinces with an area of 3.96 million hectares, or 12% of the total land area of Viet Nam. The population of the region stands at 19 million, or 22% of the national population. Some 10 million workers comprise the labor force of the region, or 22.3% of the total work force of the country. More than 80% of the people living in the region are in poor remote areas, and those with technical training or who have gone to university comprise only 2.2% of the work force, the lowest in the country. The project will equip 100 vocational trainers with the skills and resources needed to conduct training courses. They will join 150 personnel from the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and other stakeholders who will participate in training courses. Since the majority of the expected target trainees are Khmer, the project will assess Khmer weaving as a potential area for self-employment and identify the needed training for weavers. The government also intends to promote local industries and businesses such as the food and canning sectors, which are expected to generate 12,000 new jobs. A government survey also identified a long list of potential training areas with strong demand, including aquatic product processing, metal cutting, civil construction, industrial and domestic electricity, computer programming, consumer/industrial sewing, fishing boat repair, motorbike repair, hair-dressing and cosmetology, handicrafts, welding, and electronics assembling. A community enterprise training committee will be set up in each of the two target provinces to provide information and advice for matching training with employment, including training contents, methods, career guidance, placement services, and credit information. About ADB | 
News and Events 
Top of page
