The "thirst" for e-commerce talent.

Although e-commerce is developing very rapidly in Vietnam, there is a severe shortage of human resources to serve this industry.

The demand for human resources in e-commerce in Vietnam is increasing very rapidly.

With the current rapid growth rate, the demand for human resources in e-commerce in Vietnam is increasing very quickly and will continue to increase even faster. Therefore, to address the shortage of human resources in e-commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will promote the improvement of training quality to achieve the goal of "Developing human resources in e-commerce" according to the National E-commerce Development Master Plan for the period 2026-2030.

Experts predict that in 2024, the e-commerce market size will surpass US$25 billion, a 20% increase compared to 2023, accounting for 9% of the total retail sales of goods and consumer services nationwide. Notably, Vietnam continues to be among the top 10 leading countries globally in e-commerce, ranking 5th in the world in terms of growth rate. E-commerce is creating millions of jobs, driving digital transformation in businesses, and becoming a pillar of the digital economy . However, while e-commerce is experiencing explosive growth, the labor market is developing unevenly, and the workforce serving the industry has not received adequate training.

Ms. Le Hoang Oanh, Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), stated: For many years, human resources for e-commerce, especially high-quality human resources, have been a major obstacle to the development of e-commerce in Vietnam. This field requires broad knowledge in many areas such as economics, information technology, management, and foreign languages… demanding a long training period; short-term courses and vocational training only provide temporary solutions during periods of manpower shortage. Therefore, long-term formal training at higher education institutions has become the fundamental solution for high-quality human resources in e-commerce in the future.

"In educational institutions, e-commerce is one of the trending fields of study, offering broad and diverse job opportunities with attractive salaries and a dynamic work environment," Ms. Le Hoang Oanh stated.

A survey by the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) shows that only 30% of the workforce in e-commerce solution providers currently have formal, systematic training. The remaining 70% come from other fields such as business, information technology, marketing, etc., and have to self-learn and self-train to adapt to the job. This indicates a huge demand from society and businesses for e-commerce human resources.

A report by the Vietnam E-commerce Association indicates that there are over 500 universities and colleges in Vietnam; of which, 36 offer specialized e-commerce programs, and over 50 offer e-commerce modules. This number is still quite limited to meet market demand. Furthermore, e-commerce training at universities faces many obstacles such as a shortage of lecturers, learning materials, curriculum, inter-university cooperation, and the need to connect training with practical applications.

According to a Lazada representative, not only e-commerce platforms but also retail businesses undergoing digital transformation and shifting their operations to e-commerce need specialized personnel to implement these changes. This is why the demand for high-quality human resources in e-commerce is continuously increasing rapidly.

In practice, although the rate of e-commerce human resource training in universities has increased by nearly 30%, it still hasn't kept pace with the growth and development needs of the industry. This requires universities to make greater efforts to improve the quality and curriculum of their training programs, linking training with the practical needs of society and businesses.

Mr. Do Huu Hung, CEO of Accesstrade (Interspace Vietnam Co., Ltd.), stated: Currently, Vietnam only trains about 10,000-15,000 students in e-commerce each year, while Shopee alone has over 600,000 active stores requiring personnel. If each business only needed one person, it would take... 30 years to have enough manpower for the industry. Furthermore, e-commerce workforce training lacks systematic training and standards, while e-commerce is creating millions of jobs and increasing cross-border export opportunities.

In order to support local government agencies in updating new e-commerce policies and to assist businesses in overcoming difficulties in production and business, the Center for E-commerce Development (EcomViet - Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy) has recently collaborated with departments and cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba to implement a series of e-commerce networking programs combined with e-commerce training and workshops in several provinces and cities nationwide.

The Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy also signed an agreement with Amazon Global Selling to jointly implement the "Cross-border E-commerce: Breakthrough Era" initiative, aiming to support the development of cross-border e-commerce human resources for Vietnamese businesses in the period 2022-2026 to enhance capacity and open up export opportunities for local businesses.

For example, EcomViet regularly collaborates with Departments of Industry and Trade and major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba to implement numerous e-commerce networking programs combined with local training. These training courses attract widespread participation from businesses, cooperatives, managers, and universities.

A survey conducted by the Vietnam E-commerce Association at 238 universities revealed that 47% of universities have implemented e-commerce training modules; of which, 40 universities offer e-commerce as a full-time major. Furthermore, many localities have issued e-commerce development plans, with the goal of training human resources to serve as centers for local e-commerce development.

Commenting on this issue, Mr. Bui Trung Kien, Vice President of the Vietnam E-commerce Association, said: To improve the quality of e-commerce training, a synchronized coordination between schools, businesses, and management agencies is needed. Notably, the focus should be on strengthening the connection between schools and businesses, building e-commerce vocational training programs in collaboration between universities and colleges and businesses so that students can gain practical experience and update their knowledge of technology and online commerce operations. At the same time, schools should be encouraged to organize practical application modules such as building e-commerce websites, running advertising campaigns, and live-streaming sales.

As part of its human resource training and development program, Happy Money Company recently organized a training course on the topic "Professionalism in Every Interaction - The Standard Happy Money Communication Style" for nearly 200 employees from branch offices and related departments, under the direct guidance of a corporate skills training expert.

The training content is designed to be in-depth, aiming to standardize communication styles, develop professional conduct, and build an image of personnel suitable for the specific characteristics of the industry. Beyond theory, the training incorporates many interactive practical activities, helping Happy Money employees easily apply what they learn directly to their work, improving the quality of the team at service touchpoints, especially in the branch offices, where direct and frequent contact with customers is required.

To promote training, dissemination of information, and human resource development, according to Ms. Le Hoang Oanh, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy will accelerate the implementation of the E-commerce Development Plan in localities; focusing on training and improving the quality of human resources in e-commerce. In addition, the Department will regularly coordinate with provincial departments and cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba to implement a series of e-commerce networking programs combined with training and workshops in several provinces and cities nationwide.

On the other hand, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy will support schools in supplementing and modifying training programs, lectures, learning materials, internships, and practical training for lecturers and students, and help lecturers and students update on new policies and trends in digital business and technology in this field. This will address the shortage of human resources for e-commerce, build a professional, confident, and standardized workforce in every interaction, thereby increasing customer trust and leading to sustainable development in the digital age.

According to baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/con-khat-nhan-luc-thuong-mai-dien-tu-post401639.html