Laos and Cambodia are two promising markets for Vietnamese workers asVietnamese businesses operate many projects in the two neighbouringcountries, the Vietnam Economic Times has said.
According to statistics from 2011, Vietnam sent 87,000 workersoverseas, including 3,500 to Laos and 3,300 to Cambodia .
At present, the Association of Vietnamese Investors in Cambodiahas more than 200 members. They are mainly involved in agriculture,forestry, garments, consumer goods, telecoms, finance and banking.
In Cambodia ’s Battambang, KompongChnang and Takeo provinces, manyVietnamese businesses such as the Vietnam Rubber Group, thePetroVietnam Fertiliser and Chemicals Corporation, the Dinsen VietnamGarments Company and the Dat Hoa Plastics Company all require largenumbers of workers.
According to Vietnam ’sLabour Export Association, Southeast Asia used to be a secondarymarket for Vietnamese labour agencies. However, after the recentpolitical instabilities in the Middle East, the labour market felt thecrunch as less expensive markets like Malaysia and Taiwan nolonger have a demand for workers. Nowadays Vietnam ’s labour agenciessee a demand from other Southeast Asian countries for highly qualifiedworkers, especially agricultural and chemical engineers.
In the Laotian market, Vietnamese workers are now finding it easierto find jobs in industrial zones, the mining industry, agro-forestry andconsumption.
This market is new but close toVietnam ’s consumer culture so is ideal for apprenticeships, said DuongDuc Manh, Training Director for the TXM Labour Export Company.
Experienced workers can be trained to develop the markets in four ofour neighbouring countries, including Laos , Cambodia , Myanmarand Timor Leste, he added.
The Overseas LabourManagement Department said that smaller markets, including Laos andCambodia could employ 8,000-10,000 Vietnamese workers every year, or10-15 percent of the country’s total annual overseas work force.
In 2012, the labour sector is targeting sending technicians, skilled workers and senior managers to these new markets.-VNA