Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Accordingly, between now and 2019, the NHO will help theVCCI HCM train 500 labourers for the sector in Mekong Delta and south centralregions.
Bui Thi Ninh, head of the bureau for employers’ activitiesat the VCCI HCM, said the programme aims to link enterprises and vocationaltraining schools, and reinforce enterprises’ collaboration with trainingschools to create a skilled workforce that is able to meet the requirements ofemployers in the aquaculture industry.
It also seeks to expand awareness of career opportunities inthe field among parents and high school students, she said.
It will be piloted in Dong Thap and Khanh Hoa provinces.
Speaking at the launch in HCM City on June 14, Vo Tan Thanh,director of the VCCI HCM, said fishery is one of the country’s key economicsectors, with aquaculture and fishing output exceeding 6.7 million tonnes lastyear and export earnings reaching 7 billion USD.
The industry employs around nine million people directly andindirectly, but more than 60 percent are unskilled, he said.
Tore Myhre, director of NHO’s International Department, saidinvesting in skills development, especially vocational training, is importantto improve the productivity and profitability of enterprises.
Aquaculture is a sector that is growing in importance forboth countries, he said.
NHO and VCCI, together with Vietnamese and Norwegianindustry players, have identified a need for more skilled and productiveoperators in their value chain from production to processing, he said.
“The current availability of vocational training for theaquaculture industry is limited despite an increase in demand for humanresources.
“The aquaculture industry is also becoming more technically advanced,which increases the demand for skilled workers.
“Working in aquaculture is by many perceived as a low-statusjob often associated with heavy manual labour. The industry is however in rapiddevelopment, and needs to attract motivated and skilled young professionals.
“For this to happen, one needs to increase knowledge amongparents and young students about what it means to work on a modern fish farm.”
The project would address this through various careerguidance initiatives, he said.
Thanh said since 2010 the VCCI HCM, with technical supportfrom NHO, has co-operated with the Dong Nai College of High Technologyandcompanies in Dong Nai province to pilot a training programme in mechanicalengineering and hospitality.
Ninety seven percent of students from this trainingprogramme have got jobs after graduating, with their training quality deeplyappreciated by employers, he said.
Following its success, NHO and the VCCI HCM have expandedtheir co-operation to the aquaculture sector, he added.-VNA
VNA
