"Thirst" for high-quality human resources for sustainable growth

In the context of Vietnam's economy shifting strongly to a growth model based on knowledge, technology and innovation, the demand for high-quality human resources is becoming a matter of survival.

Enterprises want to find high-quality human resources to meet production needs in the new period. Photo: SX

Lack of high-quality labor

One of the clear examples is the Vietnamese railway industry, which is considered a pillar of the national infrastructure development strategy. According to Dr. Nguyen Minh Khoa - Lecturer of the Faculty of Transport Engineering (University of Technology - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City), in the period of 2025 - 2030, the railway industry alone needs at least 35,000 high-quality human resources, including 14,000 university-level engineers, 1,000 people with postgraduate degrees... Not only the railway industry, many other fields in Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country are also lacking high-quality human resources, especially in digital transformation, industrial production, logistics, clean energy and modern financial services. Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics shared that the survey results show that up to 55% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) admit that lack of skills is the biggest barrier to their development. “Many businesses have good products but fail because they lack CEOs with knowledge of market research, strategic planning, finance and human resource management,” said Dr. Khai.

Ms. Luong Thi Toi - Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City informed that in the coming time, the Government sets a target of double-digit economic growth, GDP of 10% per year with a new growth model, restructuring the economy, taking science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as the main driving force. With that orientation, the employment trend will focus on the fields of AI, data; automation; renewable energy, logistics and financial management... This will be a big challenge for the labor force in labor-intensive industries due to the concentration of many unskilled workers, whose profession has not been recognized during the training process. According to the Department of Home Affairs of the city, it is forecasted that in the period of 2025 - 2030, Ho Chi Minh City will need from 800,000 to over 1 million new workers, of which 70% will be in the service - high-tech industry group. The labor market of Ho Chi Minh City is facing the problem of both surplus and shortage of labor force. Specifically, there is a surplus of unskilled labor and a shortage of highly skilled labor. This is a long-standing problem that requires solutions to promote human resource development.

Forecasting the labor market in 2026, Ms. Luong Thi Toi emphasized that the market will grow strongly in terms of the number of jobs with over 300,000 jobs, but will face challenges in terms of quality. Enterprises will need to recruit a large number of skilled technical human resources to meet high growth targets.

The key to developing high-quality human resources

Faced with the above practical requirements, experts believe that developing high-quality human resources should be considered a strategic breakthrough, associated with close coordination between the State - schools - enterprises.

Dr. To Thanh Tuan - Vice Principal of LILAMA2 International Technology College said: "The fundamental solution for human resource development in the railway industry in particular and technical fields in general is tripartite cooperation. In which, the school takes on the role of training, technology transfer and qualification improvement; the enterprise is the ordering unit, providing feedback, supporting facilities and guiding internships; and the management agency takes on the task of policy creation, funding and quality control." According to Dr. Tuan, this model helps enterprises receive human resources that meet actual needs, while reducing retraining costs, while students have the opportunity to practice professional skills and can work immediately after graduation.

According to experts, for Ho Chi Minh City – the largest economic center of the country, investing in human resources is not only an immediate task but also a long-term strategy. When the State, schools and businesses join hands, when workers are given opportunities for lifelong learning and career development, the city will have the conditions to become a “high-quality human resource center” of Vietnam and the region, contributing strongly to sustainable economic growth in the new era.

After the merger, the labor market in Ho Chi Minh City is vibrant and diverse. According to data from the City Employment Service Center, in the first 10 months of 2025 alone, the entire city recorded more than 140,000 job seekers and over 250,000 job vacancies, a significant increase compared to the same period in 2024 (116,899 job seekers and over 190,087 job vacancies).

THANH GIANG

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/khat-nhan-luc-cao-cho-tang-truong-ben-vung.html