Making a fortune in the mechanical engineering profession.

(Baonghean) - While most young people in the village decide to work on fishing boats or leave their hometown to start their own businesses, Nguyen Van Son (Dien Bich commune, Dien Chau district) aspires to get rich by learning a trade and striving to overcome difficulties to establish a career locally.

Born in 1982 in Hai Bac hamlet, Dien Bich commune, Nguyen Van Son completed his high school education and decided to fulfill his military service. In 2004, upon returning to his hometown, faced with his mother's frequent illnesses and the family's precarious financial situation, entirely dependent on salt production, Son decided to pursue vocational training to establish himself in his hometown. After seven months of studying mechanics and welding in Vinh City, he received his basic vocational certificate in early 2005.

Mr. Nguyen Van Son.

To improve his skills, Son sought work at mechanical workshops in Dien Chau district and Vinh City. In 2007, feeling he had mastered the craft and had saved up some capital, Son decided to open a small mechanical workshop in his hometown. When it was first established, Son's workshop only had one welding machine, one grinding machine, and one drilling machine as the basic framework for production.

Initially, the business faced many difficulties: lack of capital, lack of machinery, unskilled workers, and customers were not yet confident in a small mechanical workshop run by a newcomer. Recalling those early days, Son confided: “In the beginning, we faced so many difficulties that at times we thought we wouldn’t be able to survive. Our family was already struggling, and the thought of adding debt from failed business ventures sent shivers down my spine. But the more I worked, the more I believed I would succeed. The mechanical engineering industry had opportunities for growth because many construction projects were springing up. Moreover, Dien Bich is a coastal commune, and young people in the area either go fishing or work as laborers rather than focusing on learning a trade and establishing a career in it. There was a large number of unemployed people, so I wanted to do something to change that…”

In 2007, Son got married. As the breadwinner of the family, Son became even more determined to pursue his chosen career. With the dynamism and creativity of youth, Son learned from many large mechanical workshops inside and outside the province to improve designs and techniques, as well as to survey the market and find outlets for his products.

He contacted suppliers to rent land to expand production and invest in better machinery. Gradually, Hoai Son Mechanical Workshop became a "brand" for customers not only in Dien Chau district but also in Que Phong, Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Nghi Loc districts, Vinh City, and even Ha Tinh province. His products are very diverse, including gates, cargo vehicle frames, decorative doors, sliding doors, and corrugated iron roofing for kiosks and houses.

To date, the mechanical workshop has brought him an annual income of 200-250 million VND and provided regular employment for 4-5 local workers with an income of 4-5 million VND per month. Furthermore, Son also provides free vocational training to young people in the area. Nearly 20 people have learned the trade at the workshop, many of whom have become skilled and found stable jobs. Mr. Le Van Thang from Hai Bac hamlet said: “After graduating from high school, I didn't know what to do, so Mr. Son took me in to learn the trade at the workshop. During my training and work there, I always received dedicated guidance, and thanks to that, my skills are now relatively proficient.”

Although small in scale, Nguyen Van Son always feels fortunate to have chosen the right path to escape poverty and become wealthy for himself, his family, and the community. To everyone, Son is honored as a "young entrepreneur" not only for his achievements but, more importantly, for his spirit of daring to accept difficulties and rise up through his own hands and mind. His success today stems from changing his mindset and his determination to overcome hardship.

Mr. Thai Ba Bay, Secretary of the Dien Bich Commune Youth Union, said: “With a model like Mr. Son's, more young people will return to participate in labor and production in the locality, contributing to the development and stability of the commune's economy. In the coming time, the Commune Youth Union will focus on building exemplary models of youth economic development to replicate throughout the commune.”

Minh Quan