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Dong Nai is a city with strengths in attracting foreign-invested enterprises (FDI). Here, these companies, together with grassroots trade unions, become bright spots in improving the cultural level and technical skills of workers.
According to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, at Chang Shin Vietnam Company - specializing in processing leather shoes for export for Nike Group located in Thanh Phu Industrial Park, Tan Trieu ward - the company's grassroots trade union has coordinated with the company's Board of Directors to organize classes to improve cultural qualifications for workers from grades 9 to 12. In addition, the company also organizes classes such as: English, Korean, computer science, Yoga for management staff. Deploying teaching skills classes for hundreds of internal lecturers from departments to teach in courses.
Chairman of the grassroots Trade Union of Chang Shin Vietnam Company - Dang Tuan Tu shared that, to improve the skills of employees and managers, the Trade Union has coordinated with the Company's Board of Directors to organize 45-day and 6-day classes for all employees on communication skills and technical skills in each stage of the production line.
Mr. Dinh Sy Phuc - Chairman of the grassroots Trade Union of TKG Taekwang Vina Joint Stock Company (a 100% foreign-owned enterprise in Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park, Tran Bien ward) informed that the company's Trade Union regularly organizes free cultural supplementary training programs for workers from grades 6 to 12. Up to now, thousands of workers have participated in studying, and many workers continue to be given opportunities to study at colleges and universities. Many workers after graduation are arranged to hold management positions, thereby improving and raising their income and lives.
At this company, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tu (38 years old), the production line team leader, said that he is always aware of his responsibility, in addition to self-study to improve his qualifications, he spends a lot of time guiding and helping other workers when they encounter difficulties, and supporting the company in multi-skilled training for new workers who are still inexperienced.
The above examples show that FDI enterprises themselves investing in Vietnam have also made changes, not relying on cheap, low-skilled labor but proactively training and improving the quality of workers.
After 4 decades of opening up and economic integration, Vietnam has affirmed its position as one of the attractive destinations for foreign direct investment capital in the region. The FDI sector not only makes an important contribution to GDP growth, exports and jobs but also becomes a pillar in the process of industrialization and modernization of the country.
However, when entering a new stage of development, the problem posed is no longer how much investment capital to attract, but how to turn that capital flow into a driving force to upgrade technological capacity, labor productivity and the position of the Vietnamese economy in the global value chain. In that context, high-quality human resources are identified as a key factor.
Clearly recognizing this requirement, on May 24, 2025, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1002/QD-TTg approving the Project on training human resources to serve high-tech development in the period 2025 - 2035, with orientations to 2045. This is considered an important step to prepare a labor platform for a new development phase, directly linked to the requirements of high-tech industries and new generation FDI capital flows.
According to experts, after nearly 40 years of attracting FDI, Vietnam has formed a labor ecosystem serving this sector, from unskilled workers to engineers and experts. However, this ecosystem still has many bottlenecks.
Notably, Vietnam is seriously lacking highly skilled technicians in fields such as automation, electromechanics, industrial robotics, and smart production management. This is a key force to move from "processing and assembly" to "design and production in Vietnam".
At a higher level, the human resources of engineers and technology experts in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor, chip design, and new energy still do not meet demand. Many FDI enterprises still have to rely on foreign experts for important technical positions. Especially, at the senior management level, the number of Vietnamese people taking on the roles of factory director, technical director, R&D or global supply chain manager is still very limited.
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Vietnam also needs to promote high-tech human resource training programs, focusing on strategic industries such as semiconductor, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and green energy. These are areas that are predicted to determine national competitiveness in the future.
In addition, strengthening the linkage between FDI enterprises and training institutions, allowing enterprises to deeply participate in the training process, technology transfer, and building research and training centers in Vietnam is considered an important solution.
Policies to attract international talents and Vietnamese people abroad also need to be promoted through administrative procedure reform, visa policies and the working environment.
Vietnam's long-term goal is not only to attract FDI but also to increase the proportion of Vietnamese people participating in management, technical and research positions in FDI enterprises. At that time, international capital not only carries money but also technology, knowledge and modern management capacity.
Speaking at the Conference to thoroughly grasp and implement Resolution 10-NQ/TW held on June 30, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized the requirement: "Developing high-quality human resources is a decisive condition. Without a team of good engineers, experts, technicians and managers, it is impossible to attract and retain high-tech projects, nor can it be switched from processing and assembly to designing, researching, and producing products and services with high added value. Localities with industrial parks, economic zones, and high-tech zones must proactively link with educational institutions, research institutes and businesses to train according to the needs of industries, clusters and strategic projects. It is necessary to create conditions for Vietnamese people to gradually take on technical, management, research, design and operational supply chain positions in FDI enterprises".
Also at the National Conference summarizing 1 year and 6 months of implementing Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW held on the afternoon of July 1, General Secretary and President To Lam once again reiterated the requirement for high-quality human resources and noted that this is a task of fundamental and long-term significance. General Secretary and President To Lam proposed that right from the new school year, the education and training sector and higher education and vocational education institutions need to review training programs, prioritize strategic technology fields, and promote digital skills training, innovation capacity and AI application.
Along with absorbing capital, Vietnam must be more ready to invest in people who can grasp, absorb and master technology. That is the requirement to position the new generation of workers - those who create internal strength for the economy and the country.
