Vietnam promotes labor cooperation with Canada's Saskatchewan province

This formed the core agenda of a working visit to Canada last week by a delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang.

The trip served to carry out the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labor cooperation signed between Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs and the provincial government of Saskatchewan in August 2026. Working with management bodies, educational institutions, and recruitment organizations across Saskatchewan, both sides discussed specific issues regarding manpower needs, entry criteria, and protective measures for Vietnamese workers in Canada.

The delegation held working sessions with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Immigration and Career Training as well as the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to examine recruitment needs, legal frameworks, and protective mechanisms for foreign labor.

Saskatchewan requires an influx of approximately 130,000 workers over the next five years to fulfill local economic requirements. Recruitment focuses on manufacturing, mining, healthcare, agriculture, and energy, with particular priority on skilled workers possessing suitable qualifications.

A key highlight of the discussions involved the principle of allocating responsibility for recruitment costs. Vietnamese workers will not be required to pay recruitment fees or airfare from Vietnam to Saskatchewan, as local employers will cover these expenses. Both sides also agreed to continue studying and developing recruitment procedures, clarifying professional standards, credential recognition mechanisms, and entry conditions, ensuring transparency, equity, and ethical practice.

At the Vietnam - Saskatchewan Labor Cooperation Forum, representatives from provincial regulatory agencies and industry associations exchanged views with the delegation on the feasibility of connecting labor supply and demand. Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang affirmed that labor cooperation is an important pillar of Vietnam - Canada relations, in line with the core substance of the recently upgraded Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang stated that Vietnam stands ready to coordinate with Saskatchewan and Canadian agencies while actively preparing a workforce that meets the professional, technical, and language standards of the Canadian labor market. He suggested maintaining regular contact through designated channels to clarify hiring needs by industry, job role, and intake criteria. Timely, complete information will enable Vietnam to prepare suitable labor pools, enabling efficient partnerships between enterprises on both sides.

Delegates also deliberated on an implementation roadmap for the MoU, information-sharing frameworks on labor demand, and support for Vietnamese manpower placement agencies to link directly with employers in Saskatchewan.

Within the framework of the visit, the Ministry of Home Affairs delegation also worked with Saskatchewan Deputy Minister of Trade and Export Development Richelle Bourgoin, and visited the University of Regina, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and the Health Sector Recruitment Center to explore potential cooperation in training, skill development, and connecting manpower based on local demand.

On October 30, the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa, briefing Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang on the visit's outcomes. Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang hailed the Embassy's coordination in facilitating the MoU signing and requested continued support to maintain bilateral exchanges.

The visit contributed to putting into practice the labor cooperation MoU between Vietnam and the province of Saskatchewan, laying a foundation for both sides to continue determining recruitment demands, agreeing on admission standards, connecting businesses, and safeguarding workers' rights. Amid Saskatchewan's need to supplement its workforce, step-by-step building of an appropriate cooperation mechanism will generate more job opportunities for Vietnamese workers while helping strengthen Vietnam Canada relations in a substantive and sustainable manner.

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