Human resource bottlenecks in the technology race
Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, big data, automation and strategic technology industries are opening up new development opportunities for Vietnam. However, that opportunity can only become a reality if the country has sufficient high-quality human resources, capable of mastering technology, developing products, participating in core technology problems and competing in the international market.
Current reality shows that many Vietnamese businesses do not lack the aspiration to innovate, do not lack the need to apply technology, but face difficulties in human resources. From a business perspective, Dr. Doan Nam Thai - CEO of AVATECH believes that the young generation should not only be seen as a pure labor force, but need to become people who directly create technology solutions. This assessment is worth considering. If young people are only assigned basic operational tasks, with few opportunities to participate in research and product development, they will find it difficult to mature into a force that masters core technology.
This is the fundamental bottleneck: the gap between training in schools and the actual needs of the market is still large. Many businesses have to re-train personnel and build research and development teams to meet production and business requirements. This shows that the technology human resource problem cannot be solved unilaterally, but requires close coordination between the State, schools, businesses and organizations representing workers, including the Trade Union.
Not only training, but also creating an environment for young people to master technology
Developing high-quality technology human resources cannot stop at opening more classes or issuing more certificates. More importantly, create an environment for young people to participate in real work, real problems, real production lines and real products.
Technology businesses need to give opportunities for young engineers to participate in the research and development process of products, access international technology standards, work in practical laboratories, experimental projects, and innovation groups. Only when they are exposed to reality do workers have the ability to "fight", know how to solve specific problems of the business and the economy.
In the opposite direction, training institutions also need to change strongly. Technology training programs must be linked to market demand, increase practice, increase interdisciplinary projects, and increase cooperation with businesses. Students cannot only learn theory about AI, automation or industrial data, but need to work with equipment, software, data and practical processes.
In that process, the Trade Union organization can participate as an important bridge. Trade unions in enterprises understand clearly what skills workers are lacking, which departments need to be retrained, which groups of workers are at risk of being replaced by technology, and which positions need to be supplemented with digital skills. If the Trade Union actively coordinates with enterprises and training institutions, training programs will be closer to needs, more practical and avoid formality.
Trade unions need to participate in the process of building a "skills map" at enterprises: which industries are lacking technology human resources, which positions need to upgrade skills, which groups of workers need to change careers, and which skills must be trained first. From there, the Trade Union can propose to enterprises annual training plans, incorporate training and retraining content into collective labor agreements or welfare programs for union members.
Retaining talent must start from policies and the working environment
At the policy level, Mr. Mai Anh Hong - Deputy Director of the Department of Organization and Personnel, Ministry of Science and Technology - emphasized that attracting and retaining science and technology human resources needs to be seen as a strategic task. According to him, mechanisms to exceed salary ceilings, housing support, and create a modern working environment for experts should not be considered privileges, but are minimal conditions to attract and retain talent.
Therefore, retaining talent cannot only be done with calls for contribution. Competitive salary and bonus policies, modern working conditions, research opportunities, professional autonomy, mechanisms for sharing benefits from creative results and a culture of respecting talent. For the public research sector, more flexible mechanisms are needed so that experts can live by their profession, create by their profession and stick with the organization for a long time.
The Trade Union organization can contribute an important voice in this process. Trade unions need to participate in criticism, propose policies on salaries, housing, welfare, working conditions, intellectual property rights, share benefits from initiatives, and protect creative workers in the high-tech environment. For technology workers, welfare is not only income, but also learning opportunities, promotion, recognition of contributions and protection from career risks.
Digital transformation will create many new jobs, but also change or replace many old jobs. This is a major challenge for middle-aged workers, workers in traditional manufacturing industries, and technical workers who are not equipped with digital skills. Without a retraining strategy, a part of workers may be left behind in their own workplaces.
Trade unions need to promote the lifelong learning movement among union members and workers. This movement should not stop at general mobilization, but needs to have a specific program: each union member learns one more digital skills; each trade union group has a technology initiative; each business has a retraining fund; each grassroots trade union has a list of groups of workers in need of skill support.
Trade unions can also coordinate to organize flexible classes outside of working hours, online courses, career counseling programs, technology initiative clubs, digital transformation idea contests, "digital workers" forums, "young engineers mastering technology". These activities both create a learning environment and arouse the creative spirit in workers.
In particular, in manufacturing enterprises, the Trade Union can mobilize employees to participate in improving processes and applying technology to daily work. A small initiative to help reduce product errors, save energy, optimize operation or shorten operating time is also a digital transformation step from the grassroots level.
When workers are educated, given opportunities, treated worthily and work in an environment that encourages creativity, they will not only be technology operators, but also become technology creators. That is also the path for Vietnamese businesses to improve competitiveness, for the economy to overcome human resource bottlenecks and for Vietnam to be more confident in the digital transformation, artificial intelligence and high technology race.
