The Mekong Delta will strive to provide jobs for 371,000 workers, including 110,000 in rural and ethnic minority areas, this year, according to the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region.

To achieve this, regional provinces will invest in building infrastructure to increase the number of vocational training schools in the region to 11 colleges and 20 secondaries (including two for ethnic minority people) and add more subjects to training programmes.

They will also mobilse engineers and skilled workers to train labourers on the site and create links between enterprises and trade villages.

At the same time, regional provinces will seek to expand labour export markets, restore trade villages and promote agricultural services in rural areas to offer more jobs for workers there.

Additionally, regional provinces’ Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Department have signed contracts to provide 6,000 workers for enterprises.

The provinces in the region have also planned to develop a network of job service centres, a labour market information database and organise job introduction activities at districts and communes.

They will also increase the amount of preferential loans granted to workers in rural areas, disadvantaged and ethnic minority households who wish to work abroad.-VNA