Education and training would continue to be an important part of transforming the youth of today into a loyal force to carry on the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

This was said by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan at a national conference to review a youth development strategy held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Hanoi on Feb. 24.

Nhan said relevant agencies should keep abreast of the fast-changing trends and habits of young people in order to develop effective strategies. "For example, the use of the internet and mobile devices to communicate and collect information was becoming increasingly popular," Nhan noted.

In reviewing the development strategy for Vietnamese youth after seven years of implementation, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Dinh said local authorities and sectors leaders were more aware of the importance of integrating development goals for the youth into socio-economic development goals as a whole. However, a lack of cooperation among relevant agencies had led to ineffective operations in some areas, Nhan said.

"The responsibility of each agency is not clearly defined," he added.

Dinh also pointed out several urgent issues that hadn't received adequate attention including unemployment and a high level of illegal activities.

From 2003-08, each year Vietnam created 1.6 million new jobs, 70 to 72 percent of which were for young people./.