As many as 153 consolation prizes and 92 professional certificates were also awarded to contestants.

Fifty-seven winners were selected for the national team to prepare for the 7^th ASEAN Professional Skills Contest in Malaysia and the 40^th World Professional Skills Contest in Canada.

More than 300 contestants competed in 19 professional skills, including electricity, welding, industrial electronics, automobile technology and plumbing.

At the awards ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan extended congratulations to the winners and stressed that Vietnam needs a highly skilled workforce in the international integration process. “Our goal is to train at least 50 out of 100 young people by 2010,” said Mr Nhan.

To achieve the goal, he said Vietnam must open more vocational training classes and increase the quality and quantity of teachers.

“Through this contest, we can select and train top prize winners to become good teachers,” said Mr Nhan.

He asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to pour more investment into developing the system of vocational training centres across the country.

Vietnam has a young workforce, but 70 percent of them are untrained.