At a conference to disseminate and implement resolutions adopted at the fourth plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Nguyen Manh Cuong, outlined key points of the draft action program prepared by the municipal Party Standing Committee to implement Politburo Conclusion No. 105-KL/TW on attracting and effectively utilizing talent in key sectors to support the country's rapid and sustainable development.
Making contributions the measure of talent
The draft action program sets out five core viewpoints, emphasizing that talent is a particularly important strategic resource and that attracting and effectively utilizing talent is a regular task for the entire political system. It calls for a shift from managing personnel primarily through staffing quotas to developing talent, with products, results, and contributions serving as the key measures of performance. Effective utilization is identified as the decisive factor, while talent development provides the long-term foundation.
The program also calls for building an open talent ecosystem that connects the public and private sectors, as well as domestic and international networks. It seeks to strengthen links among state agencies, educational institutions, research institutes and businesses, while focusing resources on key sectors, urgent tasks and difficult challenges that could drive breakthroughs for the city.
Talent is to be identified based on personal qualities, ethics, actual capabilities, professional reputation and verified achievements, rather than being equated with academic qualifications, academic titles, degrees, positions or seniority.
Regarding the city's targets, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong said Ho Chi Minh City aims to establish and maintain a position among the country's top five localities in national-level talent attraction and development indicators by 2030.
Looking ahead to 2045, the city aims to become a regional hub for attracting, developing and disseminating talent, with strong competitiveness and connections to global knowledge networks. It also seeks to build a workforce capable of mastering core and strategic technologies and modern urban governance, and to rank among ASEAN's top five cities in talent appeal, competitiveness and the number of talents attracted.
Prioritizing five key sectors
The draft identifies priority sectors for talent attraction and utilization, including basic sciences linked to practical applications; artificial intelligence, data, semiconductors, information security and strategic technologies; international finance, financial technology, risk management, law and international dispute resolution; and high-tech industries, precision engineering, automation, new materials, renewable energy, logistics, seaports and the marine economy.
Other priority areas include planning and governance of polycentric urban development, public transport, urban railways, underground spaces, flood prevention, environmental protection and climate change adaptation; as well as biotechnology, specialized medicine, high-tech agriculture, education, public policy, cultural industries, arts, sports and tourism. The city will receive, evaluate, and publish a list of challenges requiring talent-driven solutions, while identifying the agencies responsible for receiving and applying the results.
To establish breakthrough mechanisms and policies for talent development, the city will review and implement policies in a coordinated manner, address obstacles and overlapping regulations, and introduce clear transitional provisions to protect the rights and legal commitments applicable to recruited talent.
A notable innovation is the approach to identifying, selecting, and assigning tasks to talent based on demonstrated capabilities. The city will proactively seek candidates through their research outputs, technologies, initiatives and professional achievements, while expanding nomination channels and allowing individuals to apply directly.
Forms of engagement will also be diversified, including expert contracts, consultancy, concurrent appointments, secondments, research partnerships and project-based work. The city will apply mechanisms for chief engineers, chief architects and lead experts to oversee major projects. It will also facilitate the direct or remote participation of private-sector experts, overseas Vietnamese and international specialists.
Alongside attracting outstanding professionals, Ho Chi Minh City will focus on developing the next generation of talent through commissioned training tailored to the practical requirements of specific tasks and projects. Efforts will be made to strengthen foreign-language proficiency, digital skills, interdisciplinary research and modern management capabilities.
The proposed program also introduces a “talent develops talent” approach, under which leading specialists mentor successors and pass on their knowledge and expertise.
In addition, the city aims to establish a professional, democratic and transparent working environment that respects professional expertise and academic freedom. It will ensure adequate infrastructure for research, testing and technology validation, as well as data security and safety.
