A project for training one million workers in rural areas was discussed by ministries and agencies at a meeting held March 20 in Hanoi.

Trainees at the Engineering Training School in Ca Mau Province.

The project is aimed at creating rural workers with skills to meet the needs of agricultural industrialization and modernization, said the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

According to the project, 300,000 rural workers will be trained this year.

Dam Huu Dac, deputy minister of MOLISA, said, “The most difficult thing now is making clear classification of rural labor forces so that they can be trained properly and efficiently.

“The labor force in rural areas is quite different in age, living conditions, demands, educational background, and social position,” he explained.

After discussions, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan agreed that beneficiaries of this project would be divided into three groups: farmers, service workers and civil servants.

The Vietnam Farmers’ Association will lead farmer training, service workers by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and civil servants by MOLISA, said Mr Nhan.

As for 61 poor rural districts, Mr Dac said his ministry would conduct a survey on their actual conditions so local residents can have suitable access to training, such as mobile training or opening classes at vocational centers.

Financial issues related to the training project, such as government subsides or soft loans to trainees, were discussed but conclusions not reached. Each group of beneficiaries will be supported with different methods, said Mr Dac.

To perfect the project, an online conference would be conducted on March 25 to collect opinions and recommendations from six areas in the country, said Nguyen Tien Dung, head of the Vocational Training General Department.

Upon completion, the large-scale training project will be submitted to the government for approval, said Mr. Tien Dung.

VietNamNet/SGGP