VietNamNet Bridge – University graduates of less than 30 years old will have an opportunity to become vice chairs of 600 communes in Vietnam, under a US$10.25 million project which has been approved by the prime minister.

To be recruited as vice chairs of commune-level People’s Committees, candidates must meet the following criteria: be less than 30 years old, hold a university diploma, be a member of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union or the Communist Party of Vietnam, have a good health and good morals.

They must commit themselves for at least five years of working in poor communes. If they make outstanding achievements or have great initiatives, the minimum period will be three years.

Priority is given to candidates from provinces with poor districts, ethnic minority people or those who can speak the languages of the ethnic minority groups, those who have completed military services and those who are experienced in administration.

The Interior Ministry will set up project management units from central to local levels, with the central unit to be in charge of recruitment. The Ministry will train future cadres for two months. After that, they will be put on probation at communes for one month.

They will enjoy the same benefits accorded to deputy chairpersons at commune level. In addition, the young intellectuals will be given free accommodation and entitled to a permanent residence status in the commune where they work.

Through this project, the Prime Minister allows poor communes to increase the number of the People Committee’s members from 3 to 5, including 1 chairperson, 2 deputy chairpersons and 2 other officials.

The project will be implemented in 600 out of 894 poor communes in Vietnam. Each commune will have a vice chair who is recruited under this project.

The project will be carried out in two phases. In the first experimental phase (2011-2012), it will be implemented in five provinces – Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Quang Ngai and Kon Tum. Around 100 vice chairs will be assigned to work in 100 out of 185 communes in these provinces.

The second phase will be carried out in 2013-1014.

A survey at 680 communes of 62 poor districts in Vietnam shows that only 31.18 percent of commune officials are college or university graduates. Communes need well-trained officials to implement the policies for hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and economic-social development .

PV