Lao Cai: Promoting the movement of creative entrepreneurship among ethnic minority youth.

CTTĐT - Over the years, Lao Cai province has implemented a comprehensive mechanism and policies to promote the creative entrepreneurship movement among ethnic minority youth, contributing to inspiring aspirations for self-reliance and career development right in their homeland.

Lao Cai is a mountainous, border province with a strategically important location, serving as a gateway for trade with Yunnan Province (China). It boasts a border stretching over 182 km and a natural area of ​​more than 13,256 km². The province currently comprises 99 communes and wards; 95 of which are located in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Ethnic minorities account for 61.1% of the province's total population. This is both a prominent cultural characteristic and presents unique challenges for socio -economic development, especially in youth affairs and the entrepreneurship movement.

Lao Cai province has over 319,000 young people, accounting for approximately 19% of the province's total population, of which over 60% are ethnic minority youth.

Currently, Lao Cai province has over 319,000 young people, accounting for approximately 19% of the province's total population; of which over 60% are ethnic minority youth.

The majority of ethnic minority youth live in remote, disadvantaged, and particularly difficult areas; their educational level, skills, and access to science and technology are limited, but they have a strong desire to learn, a will to succeed, and a wish to establish themselves and their careers right in their homeland.

In recent years, along with the restructuring of the rural economy, many young people from ethnic minority groups have boldly built models of clean agricultural production, developed OCOP products, processed agricultural and forestry products, and developed community tourism associated with ethnic cultural identity. However, the startup process still faces many obstacles related to capital, management skills, market access, digital transformation, and value chain linkages.

In implementing the central government's guidelines and policies on youth development and entrepreneurship support, Lao Cai province has issued many specific resolutions and plans, integrating support for ethnic minority youth entrepreneurship into socio-economic development programs, sustainable poverty reduction, new rural development, and human resource development.

Lao Cai province has issued numerous resolutions and specific plans, integrating content to support ethnic minority youth in starting businesses.

From 2021 to the present, the entire province has organized over 800 propaganda activities and produced more than 500 news articles and reports on the youth entrepreneurship movement. Many exemplary young people from ethnic minority groups have been commended and honored; in the period 2021-2025, 65 outstanding young people from ethnic minority areas have been honored in various fields.

The annual "Youth Entrepreneurship Ideas and Projects" competition received over 968 ideas and projects; 38 feasible projects were selected for support and practical implementation. Many projects won regional and national awards, contributing to promoting the creative potential of Lao Cai youth.

During the period 2019-2023, the "Business Incubator" project, in collaboration with the Aide et Action organization (France), supported more than 50 projects by ethnic minority youth; of which 20 models received in-depth support, brand building assistance, and market connection. This is an important step in forming a startup ecosystem in the highlands.

During the period 2021-2025, the entire province established 109 new businesses and cooperatives owned by young people. These models focus on clean agriculture, ecotourism, agricultural product processing, and e-commerce – all suited to local advantages.

Through 980 youth savings and loan groups, over 35,000 households have accessed preferential loans; the total outstanding balance of social policy credit through the Youth Union channel reached 2,579,000 million VND. This resource has made a significant contribution to poverty reduction and household economic development.

In response to new development demands, Lao Cai province has determined that it needs to continue promoting the creative entrepreneurship movement among ethnic minority youth in a practical, sustainable manner, and in line with the specific characteristics of the mountainous region. Entrepreneurship should be linked to the goal of sustainable poverty reduction. Priority should be given to supporting youth in particularly difficult areas and those from poor and near-poor households. Focus should be placed on developing collective economic models and youth cooperatives linked to product value chains.

Building on the tradition of solidarity and the aspiration for progress of the ethnic minority people, along with the attentive leadership of Party committees and authorities at all levels, the movement for creative entrepreneurship among ethnic minority youth in Lao Cai province is gradually deepening, creating an important driving force to promote socio-economic development in the highlands, contributing to building a rapidly, sustainably, and comprehensively developed Lao Cai in the new period.

Source: https://www.laocai.gov.vn/tin-trong-tinh/lao-cai-day-manh-phong-trao-sang-tao-khoi-nghiep-trong-thanh-nien-dan-toc-thieu-so-1566417