Presently, the employment service center under the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and six unemployment insurance branches in districts 4, 6, 9, 12, Tan Binh and Cu Chi outlying district are admitting thousands of jobless workers who come the center to receive unemployment benefits.
Whereas in a special section in the Department, just a few unemployed laborers are finding information of vocational education for out-of-work people.
In the first nine months of the year, the center received 137,951 documents for unemployment payment but around 2,300 of them registered vocational education.
Specifically, Nguyen Thanh Nghi hailing from Hoc Mon District went to driving training school to enroll a driving course. Nevertheless, he was disappointed at seeing the high tuition fee of VND10 million (US$431.6) per course while the government gives VND1 million a month for vocational training tuition fee as maximum.
Consequently, he gave up vocational education . Similarly, worker Vu To Lan in Go Vap District refused vocational education after losing her job in Hue Phong leather shoe company
According to the present regulations, laborers who have paid insurance nine months before termination of their contract are entitled to receive a maximum monthly vocational training allowance of VND1 million (nearly US$45) per person for six months total.
Tran Nguyen Thuc, Headmaster of the College for Economic Technique in District 12, said that allowance of VND1 million per person for those with vocational training after becoming unemployed is so low
Tran Anh Tuan from the Institute for International Education Research said that jobless workers have benefitted from the government’s vocational training support policies; however, the government should give more on vocational training fee.
In addition, vocational training centers should teach new job to suit the rising demand and have policies to discount tuition fee for some training.
Mr. Tuan added related state competent agencies should have precise labor market prediction and provide consultation to laborers in a bid to help them to have job after finishing the course.
Director of the city Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan said that from the beginning of the year, around 170,000 laborers have had jobs and nearly 79,000 new jobs have been created. Presently, the Department have had plan to assist unemployed residents to get a suitable job including encouraging them to take a training course. Related agencies were asked to open more employment fair to help laborers on the way to seek a job.
