Increased investment in skills and knowledge transfer is key to creating employment opportunities for young people and equipping them with the tools they need to contribute to the development of Vietnam. 

Young people exchange job skills and opportunities at the event held in Hanoi on December 18. Photos: Linh Pham/The Hanoi Times

This idea was shared at an interactive dialogue entitled “Passport to Future: Creating Positive Change and Fostering Opportunities for Youth” held in Hanoi to mark International Migrants Day on December 18.

The move would enable them to confidently navigate the safe and regular pathways in this globalized world, participants said at the event hosted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Migration Agency, and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Government officials, diplomats, representatives of international organizations, and more than 200 young people in Hanoi also discussed the impact of globalization and migration on youth.

“Being equipped with knowledge about migration through a program like this event would benefit us a lot in ways of thinking about life and job,” Ha Hoang Long, a third-year student at the Vietnam Youth Academy, told The Hanoi Times.

At the event, which also covered domestic and cross-border migration in the new context, young people in Hanoi, mainly students, shared their thoughts and recommendations for better preparation for a positive future. 

Let us know your thoughts! written on the wall is a way to gather young people's ideasat the event.

Among the ideas put forward at the event, they shared that it’s necessary to enrich knowledge and improve skills at the same time while staying updated on the destinations where they would work to avoid risks, cultural shock, or scams. 

Furthermore, participants were able to experience the journey of migrants through highly interactive information booths that provided essential information on safe migration. Along with some courses on skill development and upgrading, there were also job and education opportunities abroad, as well as services for migrants both abroad and upon their return.

“Promoting awareness-raising initiatives among young people and encouraging their active participation in the safe migration process are important and useful endeavors,” said Nguyen Tuong Lam, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Committee for Youth of Vietnam.

He hoped that government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations would support young people in launching and growing their businesses while creating an environment and opportunities for skill development. It is an effective way to receive services and information on safe migration while pursuing studies at home and overseas.

Meanwhile, Park Mihyung, IOM Chief of Mission to Vietnam, emphasized the potential of youth for society and how migration can be a critical factor in fostering their growth and empowerment.

“In the future, even more people will be on the move to seek better lives and diverse experiences. Globalization and the growth of the internet will create a different world for the youth. Therefore, it is even more critical for the younger generation to be encapsulated with knowledge and new skills to navigate this digitalized and globalized world,” she stated.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski.

Situation and action for Vietnamese migrants

The process of globalization will inevitably lead to economic restructuring, changes in the labor structure of industries, a shortage of jobs, labor migration, and international study. Workers are more likely to migrate to provinces and nations with high incomes and shortages of labor than to those with labor surpluses and low incomes.

According to the General Statistics Office, nearly 9% of Vietnamese people are seeking to migrate abroad, while more than 7% of people are internal migrants, the majority of whom are young people.

Young migrants often face difficulties like a lack of soft skills, application, and online job search skills. They may work in hazardous conditions, receive unequal pay, or face wage discrimination compared to local laborers. Furthermore, migrant workers face numerous disadvantages due to language and cultural barriers.

In this regard, IOM Vietnam has been collaborating with numerous government agencies and stakeholders to give young people new and useful skills, educate them about the evolving nature of the workforce, and assist the government in aligning the vocational education and training system with market demands.

“Young people embody our hope and can be agents of change for an inclusive and sustainable future. Act today; together, we can create an enabling environment for young people’s participation in decision-making and realize their full potential,” Park Mihyung.

Speaking to The Hanoi Times, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that Australia is one of the countries with the highest immigration rates and migration has made Australia a prosperous country today.

He highlighted the community of more than 300,000 Vietnamese people in Australia, including migrants and their children, who have been making “tremendous” impacts on society and “very positive” economic and social contributions.

According to the ambassador, among many migrants to Australia, many Vietnamese students come to Australia to learn skills and many of them return to Vietnam to create new opportunities, and some seek better jobs in Australia. In conclusion, migration benefits both sending migrants and receiving countries and brings about good income, but many migrants fall victim to cheating scams, discrimination, unfair payment, and human trafficking. So before traveling, they need to know what will be happening to make sure they will be safe.

Park Mihyung, IOM Chief of Mission to Vietnam.

Park Mihyung said Vietnam is a major destination for labor from countries such as Japan, Taiwan (China), and South Korea. Vietnamese people are a very important resource. Therefore, it’s necessary to stand up for their rights and make sure that Vietnamese migrants go to those countries to earn better income. In addition, more action should be taken to ensure their working conditions, better living conditions, better visa conditions, among others, Park told The Hanoi Times.

On the occasion of International Migrants Day, Vietnamese youth are calling on everyone to “Act Today: You could be part of the solution.” As a result, a number of proposals from young people have been sent to representatives of government agencies, embassies, and international organizations in Vietnam.

The discussions also contribute to implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Vietnamese Youth Development Strategy for 2021-2030.