Opening Ceremony of the 10th ASEAN Skills Competition in Vietnam

On the evening of October 23rd, the opening ceremony of the 10th ASEAN Skills Competition 2014, themed “Skills - Our Intrinsic Values,” was solemnly held at the National Convention Center, My Dinh, Hanoi.

Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attended.

The Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs inspects preparations for the exam at the National Convention Center. Photo: VNA

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan emphasized: “Strengthening vocational training to improve employability and enhance the skills of the workforce” is a goal affirmed in the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Human Resource and Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth, adopted at the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Currently, ASEAN member countries are facing enormous challenges regarding human resources to maintain, recover, and develop their economies. Therefore, improving the vocational skills of workers to secure employment and increase labor productivity is extremely important, creating momentum for rapid and sustainable development of ASEAN as a whole and of each ASEAN member country in particular.

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stated that the ASEAN Skills Competition is held every two years and is hosted alternately among ASEAN member countries. This is a platform for young workers from ASEAN member countries to showcase their talents, vocational skills, and passion for creative work.

The results achieved at the ASEAN Skills Competitions have demonstrated the great efforts of ASEAN member states to gradually narrow the gap in vocational skills levels, moving towards mutual recognition of vocational skills to create a common ASEAN vocational skills standards framework; at the same time, it also enhances the competitiveness of the workforce and creates momentum to promote socio-economic development.

The Vietnamese delegation at the opening ceremony. Photo: LĐO

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly expressed that the 10th ASEAN Skills Competition in 2014, hosted by Vietnam, is a good opportunity to further strengthen cooperation in developing high-quality human resources in the ASEAN region. With Vietnam's efforts and the strong commitment of the participating countries, the competition will be successful in all aspects, leaving many fond memories for ASEAN and international friends.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly expressed hope that the exam would contribute to promoting the development of vocational skills standards within ASEAN, bringing them closer to world-class levels; and further enhance coordination and cooperation among ASEAN member states in assessing vocational skills – an extremely important activity as ASEAN officially became a Community on December 31, 2015.

To build an ASEAN Community towards sustainable development, with three pillars of political-security, economic, and socio-cultural aspects, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly believes that the theme of the competition, "Vocational Skills - Our True Values," is very meaningful.

With that spirit in mind, each candidate needs to strive and do their best to demonstrate their self-worth, creativity, and passion for their chosen professional field, proving the exam's core values ​​of "Honesty - Integrity - Fairness - Cooperation - Creativity."

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly expressed confidence that this ASEAN Skills Competition will make a practical contribution to further strengthening effective linkages and cooperation in the region towards a united, cohesive, and sustainably developing ASEAN Community.

David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills, said WorldSkills is a global movement with 72 member countries and territories, with a vision to "improve our world with the power of skills."

WorldSkills is committed to inspiring and fostering skills excellence. WorldSkills' global mission is "to elevate the image and celebrate highly skilled individuals, demonstrating the importance of skills for economic growth and personal success."

This shared objective applies to WorldSkills ASEAN. Southeast Asia in particular, and the world in general, are collectively changing perceptions. A career in skills, trades, and technology is a very good career choice and a top choice, equivalent to a university degree...

Representatives of the contestants and experts from 10 ASEAN countries took an oath, affirming that they would do their best to ensure "Honesty, integrity, fairness, cooperation, and creativity" so that the competition would take place in a fair, respectful, and friendly atmosphere.

Interspersed throughout the program were musical and dance performances with orchestras and traditional costumes, showcasing the unique characteristics of Vietnamese culture and creating a positive impression of Vietnam and its people for international friends.

The 10th ASEAN Skills Competition attracted 293 contestants from 10 ASEAN member countries, with 25 skills competitions held (23 official skills and 2 demonstration skills); nearly 700 international guests, technical experts, teachers, and observers came to visit and learn.

The organization of the 10th ASEAN Skills Competition in 2014 in Vietnam aims to promote vocational learning and training, and the development of vocational skills among young people; to develop national vocational skills standards for each member country in particular and the region in general, moving towards achieving the skill standards of advanced countries in the world.

The competition's message helps convey the organizers' message to the global community that ASEAN's young and highly skilled workforce is being trained, practiced, and honed to meet job requirements and contribute to building a better, more prosperous world. In this way, the skills demonstrated in this competition reflect one of the true values ​​that the contestants possess.

The closing ceremony of the ASEAN Skills Competition will be held on the evening of October 28th.

According to Vietnam+