Only 4.9 percent of workers spend unemployment benefits on vocational course

Speaking at a seminar held by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung foundation, Chinh noted that only 4.9 percent of labourers spent their unemployment benefits on vocational training courses.

He emphasised the need to raise labourers’ awareness as a lack of skills will make many of them face unemployment in the next 10 years when the Industrial Revolution 4.0 kicks in.

It is predicted that about 45 percent of electronic workers and 86 percent of garment workers will be outmoded during this revolution, he added.

Le Dang Doanh, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, stated that people in production will inevitably be replaced by machines.

Therefore, the State and trade unions should support workers in bettering their technical skills and knowledge, Doanh suggested.

Meanwhile, Truong Van Cam, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, proposed changes in education and training to increase labour quality.

The use of modern machines will help increase labour productivity and improve the working environment, he said, suggesting the State devise preferential policies for businesses which use modern machines and maximise existing human resources.-