Vietnam - Germany promote 'human resource circulation'

According to a VNA correspondent in Germany, on December 9, the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs coordinated with the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Leipzig city government to solemnly organize the "Vietnam - Germany Labor Cooperation Forum". This is an important event in a series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang delivered the opening remarks at the Forum. Photo: Thu Hang/VNA correspondent in Germany.

A high-ranking delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam, led by Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang, attended and co-chaired the Forum. Also attending the forum were Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Dac Thanh; Ms. Leonie Gebers, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS); Mr. Clemens Schülke, Deputy Mayor of Leipzig in charge of economy and labour, and hundreds of representatives from agencies, associations, businesses and vocational training institutions of the two countries.

Opportunities arising from the "Golden Population Structure" and Strategic Partnerships

Speaking at the opening of the Forum, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang emphasized the context of the Vietnam - Germany Strategic Partnership that is developing deeply and comprehensively. The Deputy Minister provided German partners with some basic information on the current economic and social context in Vietnam, affirming the position of a peace- loving, hospitable country with a rich cultural history. The Deputy Minister emphasized that Vietnam is entering a new development phase based on four strategic pillars, prioritizing breakthroughs in digital transformation, institutional improvement and comprehensive international integration. In particular, 2025 marks a strong turning point in administrative reform when Vietnam drastically streamlines the Government apparatus, builds two-level local governments and shifts the management focus to "serving the people and creating development".

Regarding human resource potential, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang shared that Vietnam is in the "golden population structure" period with a population of 101.8 million people (as of November 2025), of which 68% are of working age. Vietnam's young human resources are known for their diligence, intelligence, good vocational skills and eagerness to learn, which is a solid foundation for Vietnam to effectively implement the "human diplomacy" strategy and international cooperation.

Sharing his views on the challenges Germany is facing with its aging population and shortage of skilled labor, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang noted that cooperation on human resources between the two countries is strategically complementary and brings practical benefits to both sides.

Focus on improving quality.

Discussion session at the Vietnam-Germany Labour Cooperation Forum. Photo: Thu Hang/VNA correspondent in Germany.

At the Forum, Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance in international labor cooperation as "not chasing quantity but focusing on quality." Vietnam is committed to sending to Germany highly skilled workers with good discipline, culture and especially those who meet strict language requirements.

The leader of the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed the concept of "human resource circulation" instead of "brain drain". Accordingly, Vietnamese workers going to Germany to work not only contribute to the German economy, but also accumulate skills and modern industrial style to later return to build the country, becoming a strong bridge of friendship between the two peoples.

Untangling the "bottlenecks"

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Vu Truong Giang, Acting Director of the Department of Overseas Labor Management (DOLAB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, reviewed the achievements with nearly 2,000 high-quality workers working in Germany through programs such as "Hand in Hand for International Talents" or the project with Vivantes.

Members of the Ministry of Interior's delegation attending the Forum. Photo: Thu Hang/VNA correspondent in Germany.

However, to fully exploit the potential for cooperation, representatives of the Department of Overseas Labor Management and delegates focused on discussing solutions to remove current important "bottlenecks", related to licensing for qualified vocational training consultancy companies to ensure that the German labor market is not disturbed by information; German language training at B1-B2 level; preparing workers for cultural differences when working in Germany; speeding up and simplifying the process of recognizing Vietnamese degrees; ways to share costs between the competent German government agency - BMAS, state governments, labor receiving companies and the workers themselves; the issue of fair integration, ensuring that workers are not exploited and are treated properly... In particular, the Forum emphasized the importance of establishing official and transparent connection channels to minimize intermediaries, towards the goal of "fair recruitment".

Also at the Forum, BMAS State Secretary Leonie Gebers and Leipzig Deputy Mayor Clemens Schülke highly appreciated the quality of Vietnamese workers and pledged to closely coordinate with Vietnam to take advantage of opportunities from Germany's new Skilled Workers Immigration Law, creating the most favorable conditions for Vietnamese workers to work and integrate.

At the conclusion of the Forum, partners from both countries agreed to strengthen connections between training institutions and businesses in both countries to realize the agreements, making labor cooperation an important pillar in the Vietnam-Germany Strategic Partnership.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/viet-nam-duc-thuc-day-vong-tuan-hoan-nhan-luc-20251210094908962.htm