Vietnam shifts overseas employment focus to human resource development

Vietnam is shifting its policy regarding overseas employment to focus on national human resource development rather than just job creation and income generation. According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang, the recently passed revised Law on Vietnamese Guest Workers under Contract emphasizes training and skills accumulation.

The new legislation prioritizes sending workers with professional and technical qualifications abroad. This approach aims to allow workers to gain access to advanced technology, modern governance practices, vocational skills, and foreign languages. The goal is for these workers to return to Vietnam with knowledge and experience that can support the country’s digital transformation, innovation, and productivity growth.

To ensure these skills benefit the domestic economy, the Ministry of Home Affairs is studying strategies to align overseas employment with national human resource development and economic diplomacy. The law also seeks to strengthen connections between returning workers and the domestic labor market to prevent a one-way flow of human resources.