In 2008, despite difficulties due to the impact of the global financial crisis, labour exports still fulfilled the target of sending more than 85,000 guest workers abroad. The labour export sector also achieved other positive results.

Expanded labour export markets

Vietnam continued to expand traditional markets, such as Japan, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) which recruited more than 12,000 new workers and re-employed more than 6,000 Vietnamese workers.

In addition co-operative programmes among businesses in place, Vietnam launched a new non-profit programme, under which guest workers do not have to pay fees, bringing the total number of trainees sent to Japan to more than 6,000.

Vietnam also found many new markets, including Brunei, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Vietnam sent workers to countries with high income such as Australia, the US, Canada, Poland, Italy, Russia, SNG countries, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania. These are demanding markets, which require high-level skills and foreign language competence.

At present, around 500,000 Vietnamese people are working in more than 40 countries and territories all over the world. Every year, they send home around US$1.6-2 billion. Around 156 enterprises have been licensed to export workers.

Increased management of overseas workers

Vietnam has formed a labour management network in those countries that have attracted a lot of Vietnamese workers. The network includes representative offices, labour management boards and specialized staff in the branches of enterprises.

Seven such boards have been set up in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

The boards have helped discover and address problems among labourers in a timely manner. Consequently, there has been a drop in the number of Vietnamese who break contracts and work independently in the Republic of Korea and Japan. The rate has decreased from 20-30 percent to just 2 percent currently.

Competence of exported workers plays essential role

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has recently said that vocational training is a crucial issue. He said there is still a great deal of weakness in vocational training such as weak tailoring to practical needs and lack of good curricula and teachers, although the country has up to 100 junior colleges and 600 vocational schools.

The Deputy PM said that the training of workers who will work overseas should focus on foreign language skills, vocational skills, local culture, and local laws with the aim of protecting the good image of Vietnamese citizens.

Vietnam plans to export 90,000 workers in 2009 and 100,000 workers in 2010, he said.