Human resources - decisive factor behind logistics sector's development

At present, there are approximately 3,000 logistics enterprises operating in the nation, with the demand for logistics workforces expected to reach over 200,000 by 2030.

Furthermore, the demand for human resources among the domestic logistics sector currently meets roughly 10% of the market's demand.

According to information given by the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), along with difficulties faced in terms of finding capital sources, Vietnamese logistics businesses are facing a severe shortage of well-trained workers.

The results of a survey conducted by the association indicate the number of well-trained workers only accounts for between 5% and 7% of the number of employees working in the field of logistics.

Most notably, up to 85.7% of local firms must train and try to enhance the skills of their workforce through actual work. In particular, a number of large-scale enterprises have moved to invest in training centres aimed at developing greater human resources and managing supply chains for the sector.

Nguyen Thanh Phuong, general director of Sao Do Group, said the group has recently turned to investing in the logistics field and has subsequently encountered numerous difficulties in finding the necessary human resources, especially relating to a high-quality workforce.

Phuong underlined the need to boost linkages among training schools within the logistics sector, especially those with foreign investors, in order to develop the local workforce for this industry.

Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said domestic logistics companies run  a shortage of highly-qualified human resources, pointing out that workers in this sector are typically not fully prepared for the wave of labour migration between ASEAN countries.

Hai went on to state the importance of devising solutions aimed at dealing with inadequacies in terms of labour discipline, the sense of law compliance, and low labour intensity to enhance the skills of the Vietnamese workforce in this field.

Industry experts also underlined the need to strengthen connectivity among relevant stakeholders, including the Government, local authorities, logistics enterprises, and vocational training hubs in order to develop relevant human resources for the sector.

Moreover, the State must strive to develop professional standards for the logistics filed, whilst implementing support for vocational schools as they invest in upgrading their facilities and equipment.

It is imperative to competently train workers with professional qualifications and skills, particularly those with an in-depth knowledge about their related field, foreign language skills, information technology, along with communication and negotiation skills to increase the capacity of firms amid rapid globalisation and the Industry 4.0,  Hai said.

Assoc. Dr. Ho Thi Thu Hoa, director of the Vietnam Logistics Research and Development Institute (VLI), described training high-quality human resources for the sector as an urgent necessity, adding that emphasis should be placed on training high-quality human resources who hold international diplomas in this field.

As a means of overcoming these shortcomings and creating more favourable conditions for the development of human resource within the logistics sector, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a decision on April 30 to allow the establishment of the Vietnam Logistics Human Resource Development Association.

The primary objective of the association will be to develop human resources to work in the logistics industry, enhance the competitiveness of logistics enterprises, whilst  enabling the sector to achieve the goals set by the Government.

The association will also join forces with other associations in the field to make the Vietnamese logistics industry develop in a faster manner moving forward.