Vocational training helps workers in the mountainous areas of Son La change their lives

In recent years, vocational training for workers in mountainous areas in Son La has had a strong change when closely linked to market demand and local strengths. From vocational training according to the movement, now workers learn a trade to work, to live, to develop production and have the opportunity to escape poverty sustainably.

Son La province has issued many policies to promote vocational training, including Resolution No. 124/2019/NQ-HDND on encouraging the improvement of teaching and learning quality. Propaganda, vocational training and employment counseling has been widely deployed to students, students, and employees, through the radio, television, advertising systems, and career guidance conferences.

The vocational training network is strengthened with 12 Continuing Education Centers, 204 community learning centers and dozens of foreign language, IT, and life skills centers.

At Continuing Education Centers, in addition to studying continuing education programs at high school level, students are also trained in intermediate vocational skills, thereby helping students access the labor market soon after graduation.

In addition, colleges and secondary schools in the province have also been consolidated and rearranged in training majors in a streamlined direction, not overlapping, associated with actual recruitment needs.

Many schools have strengthened their relationships with businesses to train according to orders and introduce jobs to students after graduation. Vocational training is increasingly diverse, focusing on areas suitable for socio-economic conditions such as high-tech agriculture, services, mechanics, garments, industrial electricity, etc.

A large part of rural workers have shifted from the mentality of "learning for the sake of it" to studying to do, from learning according to the movement to studying for a living.

Ms. Lo Thi Mai (Chieng An commune, Muong La district) said that she used to be an unemployed worker, after 6 months of learning cooking techniques, she was recruited to work at a large restaurant in Son La city with an income of more than 7 million VND/month.

"Before, I just hung around in the fields, not working enough to eat, now I have a job and a stable job, every month I also save 5 million VND to send to my family" - Ms. Mai shared.

Mr. Vu Quang Khai - Director of the Son La Provincial Employment Service Center said that currently, the rate of trained workers in Son La province has reached nearly 60%, of which over 27% have degrees and certificates. Many workers after vocational training have successfully started a business or have jobs in industrial parks inside and outside the province.

"In 2025, Son La province aims to achieve 65%, the rate of trained workers, of which 30% will be granted degrees and certificates. This is one of three breakthroughs identified by the province to develop high-quality human resources, serve economic restructuring, reduce the agricultural labor rate to below 59%" - Mr. Khai said.

The clear results of vocational training programs associated with job needs are contributing to changing the socio-economic landscape in the mountainous area of Son La, when people proactively strive from their own hands and knowledge.

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