The 10th ASEAN Skills Competition will be held in Hanoi from October 19-29, 2014, featuring 23 official skills and two performance skills.

The decision was made at the first conference of the Organising Board for the Competition, which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on December 9.

The two-day conference, organised by the General Department of Vocational Training, under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), will also discuss issues related to regulations and organisational procedures.

The hosting of the Competition will help realise the Vietnamese Party and State’s international integration policy while strengthening solidarity, cooperation and friendship among ASEAN member states, said MOLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Ngoc Phi.

The event will not only train vocational skills for Vietnamese young people but also provide them with opportunities to meet their peers from regional countries, he added.

First held in 1995, the biennial competition aims to promote and improve vocational skills in the region so that they can meet international standards. Young workers for ASEAN member countries under the age of 22 are eligible for the event.

Vietnam first hosted the competition in 2004, ranking first with 13 out of 18 gold medals. During the 9 th event in Indonesia last year, the country earned the second place, with 44 workers competing in 22 skills.-VNA