HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Lê Tấn Dũng held a working session with Finnish Ambassador to Việt Nam Keijo Norvanto in Hà Nội on Thursday, during which they discussed measures to promote cooperation in vocational education and sending Vietnamese workers to Finland.

Dũng proposed Norvanto continue to act as a bridge to coordinate and step up cooperation activities in vocational education such as building and developing training institutions of Finland, establishing a quality assessment system that meets international standards, connecting Vietnamese vocational education institutions with Finnish businesses in Việt Nam, enhancing the capacity of management officials and teachers, and selecting support for technology transfer and training courses aligned with Finland's key strengths.

While acknowledging the absence of a formal labour cooperation agreement between the two countries, Dũng highlighted the recent trend of receiving Vietnamese guest workers to Finland, saying that since late last year, about 20 Vietnamese workers have secured jobs in various sectors, including nursing, welding and forestry.

Amid the labour shortage caused by an aging population and a low birth rate, Norvanto said the Finnish Government launched the pilot Talent Boost Programme to attract workers, experts and entrepreneurs during 2020-2022 to draw 50,000 immigrants for employment to Finland by 2030 and 250,000 by 2050.

Việt Nam, alongside Brazil, India, and Turkey, has been identified as a key source country for this initiative, he said.

He urged the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to prioritise strengthening bilateral labour cooperation, specifically by expeditiously studying and signing a Memorandum of Understanding outlining a framework for Vietnamese labourers working in Finland.

With the upcoming visit of the Finnish Minister of Employment to Việt Nam in January 2025, he expressed his desire for close collaboration between MoLISA and the Finnish Embassy to solidify cooperation plans. — VNS