Implementing Resolution 68: Supporting vocational training, maintaining jobs for employees

– In the 12 support policies according to the Resolution 68/NQ-CP of the Government dated July 1, 2021 and the Decision 23/2021/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated July 7, 2021 on the implementation of some policies to support employees who are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clause 3, Section 3 is a policy related to the field of vocational education, specifically support in training, maintaining jobs for employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has sent documents to vocational training institutions and businesses in the province. In fact, there are a number of businesses that cooperate with vocational training institutions to organize vocational training course and maintain jobs for employees.

Training mechanical skills for cutting and welding for employees at DK Viet Nhat Electric Bike Single share-holder Co., Ltd

Bao Long Co., Ltd. (Cao Loc district) is a unit of production and business of household water pumps and electric motors with capacity from 5 KW or less with 230 employees, 210 of them are direct employees , the rest 20 are indirect workers. Recently, the complicated situation of COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the production and business activities of businesses. In order to maintain business operations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company must change their strategy, orientation, production scale, technology transformation and even consider  the option of reducing the number of staffs in manufacturing sections. Implementing Decision 23 of the Prime Minister and based on Decision 316/QD-TCGDNN dated July 30, 2021 of the General Department of Vocational Education and Training on the Manual for training, fostering and improving vocational skills for employees facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bao Long Co., Ltd. has submitted an application to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to change its organizational structure and labor and provide funds to support the unit of organizing training, fostering and improving vocational skills for its employees.

Mr. Huynh Van Long, Director of Bao Long Co., Ltd. said: “In recent years, the company has continuously invested in new machinery, equipment and technology to put into production. Therefore, training to improve qualifications and skills for employees is really necessary so that they can best meet the job’s requirements. Accordingly, the company proposed to support 70 employees to receive vocational training to change the organizational structure and to serve the company’s production and business.”

Ms. Hoang Bich Hanh, Head of Molding Team said: “The molding team has 47 employees. When the company invested in new equipment to technologyize the production stages, we were facilitated to be trained to improve our skills, so that we could master the machines and meet the workload requirements of our sections, thereby maintaining our jobs and ensuring stable income.”

Like Bao Long Co., Ltd., due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, over the past time, DK Viet Nhat Electric Bike Single share-holder Co., Ltd has faced many difficulties in production and business. Mr. Nguyen Duc Linh, Head of Production Division of the company said: “In order to continue to improve the skills of employees, the company has coordinated with Lang Son Vocational College to develop a plan for training and submit it to the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs for approval. From the end of November 2021, 3 training courses on cutting and welding mechanics with 72 employees have opened and taught theory in parallel with practice.”

These are two businesses in the province with a large number of employees and despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, they still manage to maintain production and business and stabilize jobs for employees. Meanwhile, many other businesses and business households had to suspend operations or stop their production. Through the review and statistics in the province on the subjects affected by the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2021 up to now, 121 businesses have suspended operations and 140 businesses been dissolved (out of a total of 3,354 businesses operating and using 41 thousand employees); the number of employees who are temporarily suspended their contracts or stop participating in social insurance is 1,070/15,360 people participating in social insurance in businesses. In addition, 45 businesses have had to narrow its scale or stop a part of its production with about 1,500 employees affected. The number of business households affected by the pandemic in the province is about 850.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Head of Vocational Training Division, Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said: “The policy to support training, fostering and improving vocational skills is under Resolution 68 and Decision 23 in order to maintain jobs for employees. Currently, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has approved support for training, fostering and improving vocational skills to maintain jobs for employees of 2 businesses, the total amount of support is 426 million VND with 142 employees supported. Along with that, currently, the unit has received the needs and guided 4 businesses to implement the process of training planning and transformation plans to be eligible for vocational training support for their employees in the future. In addition, the unit continues to strengthen coordination with the Provincial Business Association in propagating this policy to businesses in the province.

The COVID-19 pandemic still has many complicated developments, unpredictable effects and the State’s support policies in recent years have created great motivation for people, workers and businesses, helping them to stabilize their lives, their jobs ad overcome difficulties.