More than 18,700 workers were sent abroad in the first quarter of the year, according to the Department of Overseas Labour.

Within the cooperation framework of 2013 between the Institute of Labour Sciences and Social Affairs (ILSSA) and the Institute of Hanns Seidel (HSF) of Germany, on 21 March 2013, ILSSA organized the Workshop of Orientation to upgrade Policy of Voluntary Social Insurance, a scheme relevant to non-formal sector. Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep attended the workshop and delivered a key-note speech.

On 18th March, 2013, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phi, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Mr. Tran Quang Quy and the German Ambassador, Ms. Jutta Frasch signed a joint Statement on vocational training cooperation. Attending the signing ceremony were representative leaders of Departments, Institutes of the Ministry of Education and Training, the General Department of Vocational Training, Mr. Elmar Dutt – Chairman of the Association of German businesses in Vietnam and in Hanoi.

Boosting job training for rural labourers and general training that meets market demands were major measures to improve the quality of human resources in the southern region this year, said Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen.

The workshop was held in 2 days 14th – 15th March, 2013 in Hanoi by the Department of Labour Safety (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) in cooperation with the International Social Security Association (ISSA-Mining) and International Labour Organization (ILO).

On 28 February 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan signed the decision no 371/QD-TTg to approve the project of “Transfer of set of programs on training and upgrade skills for teachers and managers of vocational training field; pilot training activities for essential professions at ASEAN and International levels, period 2012-2015”.

Over 90 per cent of workers had returned to work following the Tet holiday and only a small number had left their jobs, according to the Ha Noi Industrial Parks – Export Processing Zones’ Trade Union.

On March 6, 2013 in Hanoi, the Directorate of Vocational Training in collaboration with the Office of International Education Australia, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam held a workshop on quality management of vocational training.