In anticipation of the formation of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year, Vietnam and many other regional countries are taking cautious steps to access the “open” labour market.
In anticipation of the formation of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year – which is expected to generate 14 million jobs in 2025, Vietnam and many other regional countries are taking cautious steps to access the “open” labour market.
The birth of the ASEAN Community will make it easier for its citizens to acquire jobs abroad with attractive salaries under the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons and the Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) which target eight professional services – accounting, architecture, engineering, medicine, dentistry, nursing, surveying and tourism.
Aware of this, Vietnam’s Vocational Training and Education Development Strategies for 2011-2020 and the Government’s Plan of Action on comprehensive education and training reform have highlighted the significance of setting up a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in conformity with that of the region and the world.
To make the framework a reality, Vietnam has studied the ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF) and that of the UK, Australia, New Zealand and many others.
The Ministries of Education & Training and Labour, Invalids & Social Affairs are joining hands to build a project on the NQF, which is mainly constituted by tertiary education and vocational training. The draft project will be submitted to the Government as soon as possible.
Vietnam also participated in the working group on building the AQRF in 2012, which was ratified by regional economic and educational ministers in 2014 and by labour ministers a year later.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has been tasked with managing international cooperation in evaluating and issuing National Occupational Skills certificates and setting National Occupational Skills Standards that are more in line with those of ASEAN and the world.
The ministry is also piloting training major occupations using regional and international standards including applying state-of-the-art technologies from foreign countries.
As a result, 2,750 college students were trained from 2011-2015 in 34 main occupations and another 4,000 are expected to be qualified from 2016-2020.
The ministry has assessed the English language and computing skills of 150,000 final-year students pursuing major national, regional and international occupations at vocational schools.
Meanwhile, about 300,000 will be enrolled in vocational training programmes applying national, regional and international standards.
The move aims to meet the demands of the labour market in terms of quantity, quality and structure; advance training quality to match that of developed countries in ASEAN and the world; develop a contingent of skilled labourers to improve national competitiveness; fulfil sustainable poverty reduction goals; and ensure social welfare.
The MRA is considered crucial to labour movements between Vietnam and other ASEAN nations, leading Vietnam to participate in a trial project on the MRA in welding and auto technologies in the Mekong Sub-region in 2010.
However, international integration – including joining the ASEAN Community – poses a range of challenges for developing nations like Vietnam, forcing local labourers to face fierce competition with international rivals in both foreign and domestic markets.
The new situation requires each Vietnamese labourer to continuously study and equip themselves with new skills in order to avoid being overtaken in the home market.-VNA
ASEAN labour ministers wrapped up their meeting in Hanoi on May 24 with a consensus on an action plan during the 2010-2015 period to improve protection of regional migrant workers and boost regional labour cooperation.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen led a Vietnamese delegation to the 23rd ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM 23) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, from May 20-22.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
Running until June 21, the festival brings together more than 80 central and local media organisations, featuring nearly 130 exhibition booths that cover the full spectrum of national life, encompassing economy, politics, culture, society, defence, security, and foreign affairs.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
