Vietnamese workers ready for reopened overseas labour market

The Republic of Korea (RoK) reopened in May, 2021, after more than a year of receiving no workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) Program, whilst Taiwan (China) reopened from February 15, and Japan began reopening in March after more than a year of border closures. Other labour markets have also adopted policies to accept workers with appropriate conditions and regulations.

To prepare to send workers abroad amid countries reopening, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has co-ordinated closely with relevant agencies abroad to receive appropriate directions and guidance.

Furthermore, the MoLISA has worked alongside relevant domestic agencies, localities, and overseas Vietnamese representative agencies in a bid to remove difficulties and obstacles in terms of preparing labour sources and procedures regarding sending of guest workers abroad. This is along with meeting conditions and regulations for receiving foreign workers in various countries and territories, such as vaccinations, vaccine passports, and health insurance.

According to reports compiled by local enterprises, the number of employees who have been recruited and are waiting to leave the country stands at more than 80,000 people. This includes around 60,000 people hoping to go to Japan, about 13,000 to Taiwan (China), and roughly 7,000 to the RoK and other markets.

Recently, the majority of Vietnamese employees working abroad primarily focus on manufacturing, factories, and workshops, accounting for more than 80% of the number of people going to work abroad each year.

This should be done along with promoting connectivity between firms sending workers abroad and employment service centres and vocational education institutions in order to create a quality labour source to meet the requirements. of foreign partners.

Vietnamese workers are consistently positively evaluated by employers and relevant agencies in the receiving country due to their hard work, diligence, quick grasp of work, and high productivity.

In some markets such as Japan, Taiwan (China), and the RoK, Vietnamese workers are always given priority by enterprises and employers over workers from other place.

This comes after 2021 saw labour export reach only 50% of the set plan due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year the MoLISA aims to send 90,000 workers abroad, double last year’s figure.

According to Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoa, despite facing complicated developments caused by the pandemic this year, the nation and most countries have adjusted policies aimed at adapting to the pandemic moving into the new normal. Therefore, demand for labour will increase and represents a favourable opportunity for the nation to increase the sending of labourers to work in these markets.

Along with traditional markets, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is continuing to accelerate the signing of agreements on labour co-operation with Germany, Australia, Israel, and other European markets. It is therefore viewed that the plan to send 90,000 workers to work abroad this year is achievable, he said.