• The project aims to target roughly 3,000 migrant workers and vocational students in Ho Chi Minh city, Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. 
• Migrant workers will improve their digital skills via free access to Microsoft’s Digital Literacy Courses in Vietnamese language as an Open Education Resource (OER) or Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) and get digital credentials by Microsoft after completion for their future employment. 
• Teachers and students at Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes will have chance to adapt to the new pedagogical method of self-paced learning.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - Mar 29th 2021: Today, Microsoft Corporation and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Viet Nam officially launch a joint project titled “Strengthening access to online skills training for young workers in Viet Nam” (2020-2021). The partnership is an extension of Microsoft’s on-going Global Skills Initiative (GSI) that was launched in 2020 to address growing employment challenges resulting from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. 

In the pilot phase of the project, the online digital learning platform will be designed to provide 3,000 internal migrant workers in the industrial and export-processing zones and vocational students in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai provinces with opportunities to develop basic and necessary digital skills for employability and access to digital society.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the development of digital skills is essential to build resilience to economic and social shocks, especially as the countries face fourth industrial revolution. In such context, Vietnamese young workers including potential, current and return migrants must be equipped with the necessary skills to become resilient and competitive to survive the post-COVID world.

The Government of Viet Nam (GoV)’s strong emphasis on skilling, re-skilling, and upskilling for Vietnamese labour force is demonstrated by imany relevant policies with attention given to digital skills development. The Resolution No.52-NQ/TW in 2019 of Poliburo on directions to proactively participate in the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Decision No.749/QD-TTg in 2020 by Vietnamese Prime Minister on “the National Strategy for Digital Transformation” in which delivery of digital skills training for labour force and the whole population is an integral part. The GoV calls on the parties, stakeholders, and agencies to work together to create synergy of implementing digital transformation nation-wide. 

Speaking to the gathering of government representative, colleges, and industries, and partners, Ms. Mihyung PARK – Chief of Mission, IOM Viet Nam stressed that, “digital literacy and digital skills are fundamental in today’s society. The labor market is changing fast with automation and it will have significant impacts on young workers, including migrant workers. Unless they have easy access to upskilling opportunities, it is highly likely that they will be left behind. Also digital skills are essential to the well-being of migrants as it supports and facilitates integration in their new communities”. She added, “IOM is very happy to see this partnership create a platform that can potentially assist millions of workers both in country and overseas to have not only better employment opportunities but improve their migration experience.” 

Mr. Pham Vu Quoc Binh – Deputy Director of Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) under Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISAs) shared, “We are very aware of the importance of digital transformation in career education in the coming time and preparing for that process. However, this is a relatively new and difficult field, especially in the field of vocational education. Therefore, we need the partnership with international organizations and technology corporations to promptly complete the legal framework and policy; promote the implementation of capacity building and apply digital transformation in the entire vocational education system, from management level to vocational education institutions.”

Ms. Phan Tu Quyen, Marketing and Operation Lead, Microsoft Viet Nam, said: “In 2020, the world has endured multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic that has set off job losses that exceed the scale of the Great Recession. In today's digital economy, people will need to develop new digital skills to get back to work and secure a new job or to maintain the job they already have. Key to an inclusive recovery will be to provide digital skills to people hardest hit by job losses, including those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities.”

“To help address this need, Microsoft launched a Global Skill Initiative aimed at bringing digital skills to 25 million people by end of 2020 and we did it. To date, we have been continuing our effort and have helped over 30 million people across the world gain new digital skills.” Quyen also added: “Today, Microsoft is proud to partner with IOM to enable migrant and TVET workers in Vietnam to connect, learn, engage with their community, and equip them with more promising futures.”

Mr. Nguyen Huu Khanh Linh – Dong Nai DOLISA stated that, “Implementing digital transformation brings opportunities but also many challenges to DOLISAs and Colleges. There are difficulties in transition from traditional management, teaching and learning methods to new ones using new technologies. But I believe that the pilot participation in this project will be the first step to help us, and teachers and students gradually get acquainted with the new pedagogical method.”

The event was attended by senior representatives and officials from DVET/MOLISA, DOLISAs of Dong Nai, HCMC, Binh Duong, representatives from Vocational Education and Training Colleges, International and National partners, and interested companies. The participants expressed a hope that the successful implementation of this pilot will unite all relevant stakeholders to help TVET system and Viet Nam to realize the national strategy for digital transformation by 2025, vision towards 2030.

For further information, please contact 
Ms. Le Binh, Project Focal Point, IOM Viet Nam HCMC
thile@iom.int, +84 965 934 904
Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh, Microsoft Viet Nam
v-linhlinh@microsoft.com, +84 912 359 786