The major project opens the way for Vietnamese businesses and workers
The North-South high-speed railway project with a total investment of more than 67 billion USD is not only a symbol of a national infrastructure project, but also a rare development opportunity for domestic enterprises and hundreds of thousands of technical workers. The Government has clearly expressed its viewpoint: Not only inviting private enterprises to participate, but also expecting them to become the main force in essential linkages such as construction, materials, technology, operations and maintenance.
More than 10 years ago, when urban railway lines were still in their final stages, FECON Group proactively established a specialized subsidiary, while building a systematic human resource strategy. To date, they have been in charge of many large packages for foundation projects, tunnels and technical works.
We learn from construction sites, not from books, affirmed Mr. Ho Duc An - Technical Director of FECON.
Similarly, Deo Ca Group is also stepping into the railway sector by training human resources in China, importing production lines for rail and sleepers and building factories specifically for the project.
According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hiep - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors, to effectively participate in a project with an exploitation speed of 300km/h and high technical standards, we cannot wait for small businesses to grow up by themselves. It is necessary to link in a chain to create synthetic strength.
Boost for the high-tech labor market
Not only creating momentum for businesses, high-speed railway and urban projects also promise to bring hundreds of thousands of job opportunities, from technicians, engineers to management teams.
The Vietnam Railway Authority informed that in the 2025 - 2030 period alone, this industry needs about 338,000 workers. In particular, 9,200 project management personnel and nearly 13,000 consultants are needed immediately. For the two routes North - South and Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hai Phong alone, the operation phase requires up to 20,000 people; construction requires 70,000 - 80,000 workers.
Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) is implementing systematic training programs. In June, the Railway College opened the first course on high-speed railways, with the participation of about 200 workers and technicians.
Job opportunities also come from the private sector. Enterprises such as Deo Ca, Phuong Thanh, Hoa Phat, FECON, and many other contractors are proactively recruiting, training and preparing human resources early. In particular, the trend of " placing orders" for training at domestic facilities is being promoted, creating a close link between schools - businesses - markets.
Mr. Tran Thien Canh, Director of the Vietnam Railway Authority, pointed out that the current training infrastructure has not kept up with actual requirements, especially in-depth specialties such as modulation, high-speed train control, tunnel engineering, and operation signals. Therefore, the Ministry of Construction is finalizing the Railway Human Resources Development Project to 2030, with a vision to 2045, with a total cost of up to VND 40,564 billion.
The bright spot in the policy is the development of a specific mechanism: From ODA tax exemption, increasing the right of consulting engineers at the construction site to flexible contracts according to adjusted unit prices. In particular, the mechanism of "exemption of responsibility" for cadres who dare to think - dare to do the expectation will remove psychological bottlenecks, avoiding hesitation in slowing down project progress.
Mr. Chu Van Tuan - Deputy Director of the Railway Project Management Board - said: "We are responsible for designing appropriate packages, while seizing opportunities depends on the capacity of each enterprise".
It can be said that not only as a key infrastructure project, high-speed railway and urban railway are also a "double boost" for both businesses and the high-tech labor market in Vietnam.
