Wide range of job opportunities

(Baonghean) - From the beginning of 2014 until now, with a series of new factories being invested in and built in the Southeast Economic Zone, along with Samsung Electronics Vietnam Co., Ltd. (in Thai Nguyen) sending a document to the Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of provinces and cities announcing the recruitment of an additional 10,000 workers in 2015, job opportunities have opened up for many workers...

Opportunities abound

Samsung Electronics Vietnam announced that it is recruiting workers with junior and senior high school diplomas for assembly and production of electronic components and mobile phones. The basic salary offered by Samsung is 3,400,000 VND per month, and including allowances and overtime pay, the actual income for workers is 7,000,000 VND. The company also stated that during their employment at Samsung (SEVT), production workers have the opportunity to participate in a formal college-level training program taught by experts in electronics, accounting, English, and Korean. Workers are covered by social insurance as per Vietnamese law. The company also emphasized that it is continuously recruiting. This announcement immediately attracted thousands of workers from Nghe An province, especially those with prior experience in this field.

Workers at the Haivina Kim Lien factory return to work after the Tet holiday.

BSE Electronics Vietnam, located in the Southeast Economic Zone, currently employs over 3,000 workers and is recruiting an additional 1,000 in 2015. However, according to the company's CEO, recruiting the required workforce is not easy. To recruit a worker capable of producing a product, the company must provide one month of training, during which time they still have to pay salaries, manage the company, and provide meals. After a month, there are still many defective products because not all workers are proficient. Therefore, recruiting enough workers to meet the target is very difficult, as some people do not meet the requirements and end up working only to leave. The pressure of the electronics industry has led many workers to be unable to withstand continuous shifts and night work.

Nguyen Thi Lam, originally from Nghi Loc, had to quit her job at BSE Electronics Co., Ltd. after only two months of work because she couldn't work night shifts for months on end. After the Lunar New Year holiday, nearly 300 workers did not return to work at BSE. The prolonged recruitment process is also a challenge for the company, as they constantly have to allocate staff to meet with workers, conduct interviews, review applications, and manage probationary periods. In addition, BSE Electronics Co., Ltd. has a branch in Bac Ninh, so they are also recruiting workers for that branch. We were at the factory and saw groups of young people submitting applications; one worker said that the factory announced that anyone who refers a worker and that worker stays at the factory for more than two months will receive 150,000 VND.

At the Em-tech electronics factory in Nghe An, which has been operating since October 2014, workers are also applying for jobs as the factory is currently recruiting. Nguyen Thi Hong, the factory's General Affairs officer, stated: "The company has an attractive policy for workers by increasing the minimum wage compared to the regulations of Vietnamese law. For example, the minimum wage stipulated by the state is 2,400,000 VND/month, but the company increases it by an additional 2,600,000 VND/month. If workers work, their salary and allowances will reach 5.5 million VND/month. Workers receive a night shift allowance of 130% of their salary, a Sunday work allowance of 200%, and an overtime allowance of 150%." This company, headquartered in Tien Phong Industrial Park, Bac Ninh province, is also currently recruiting workers.

Mr. Kim Jong Un, CEO of the Emtech Nghe An factory, stated: "Our company specializes in manufacturing and assembling electronic components for mobile phones. We have high expectations for the abundant workforce in Nghe An. The difficulty in recruiting workers is that the factory management is Korean, so sometimes there is a lack of understanding between employers and local workers, and the labor supply is not as abundant as before. The quality of the workforce also depends mainly on the company's training, as most of the applicants are young people from rural areas who have just graduated from high school. If hired, they will receive two months of on-the-job training at the factory and a salary of 2.6 million VND."

Not only electronics factories, but other factories such as Hoa Sen Steel, Masan Food Center, and Royalfoods Food Factory in the Southeast Economic Zone are also under construction and announcing job openings. These companies publicly advertise job openings online, and postal workers deliver dozens of envelopes containing job applications to the factories daily. According to Masan Group's announcement, the group is currently recruiting for all direct and indirect positions in the consumer goods manufacturing industry, including: mechanics, electronics, administration, human resources, projects, production, industrial management, chemistry, etc., to support the construction of its factory in Nam Cam Industrial Park, Zone B, Nghi Xa, Nghi Loc.

In January 2015, the company will recruit 150 high school graduates and 20 operational technicians (graduates in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, food technology, etc.). In addition, there are many other attractive positions such as: production manager, factory manager, shift supervisor, team leader, process engineer, operational technician, quality assurance (QA) manager, QA supervisor, QA team leader, and positions in the technical department… Meanwhile, a Thai food factory in the Southeast Economic Zone is also recruiting for many positions at its office located at 9 Nghi Huong Street, Cua Lo. This company announced that it prioritizes candidates with English proficiency and expertise in food chemistry or seafood processing.

The recruitment policies of the aforementioned companies offer vast opportunities for thousands of workers in the province. The remaining issue depends on the workers' sense of responsibility in seizing the opportunity, actively learning a trade, and finding suitable employment for themselves…

Export production takes place in the Nam Giang textile and garment zone.

Labor retention policy

In recent years, thanks to efforts to attract investment, Nghe An has attracted many new factories that prioritize the employment of local workers, such as textiles, electronics, and mechanics. This has created a double benefit in addressing both economic and social welfare issues in the area. Many factories have been and are currently recruiting workers, making the labor market more vibrant and creating competition among factories and companies to attract labor, ultimately benefiting the workers.

The "race" for recruiting workers has forced factories to implement policies to retain employees and stabilize production and business. BSE Electronics Company has announced several attractive policies for workers, such as: a basic salary increase to 2,504,000 VND/month for workers (the state-regulated level is 2,150,000 VND; for team leaders and deputy team leaders, the basic salary is 2,754,000 VND). In addition, seniority allowances for 2015 are applied: 200,000 VND/month for one year of work at BSE, and an additional 50,000 VND/month for each additional year. Other allowances include a regional allowance of 200,000 VND, a transportation allowance of 200,000 VND, an attendance allowance of 150,000 VND/month (for workers who work full shifts in a month), and a team leader allowance of 600,000 VND/month…

Haivina Kim Lien Company (Nam Dan) provides similar allowances as above, and employees receive gifts and bonuses on holidays, Tet (Lunar New Year), birthdays, etc. Some workers facing difficulties are also supported by the company in building houses. Em-tech Company believes that with an income of 5.5 million VND/person/month, workers can feel secure in their work and production. Companies are increasingly focusing on labor quality and showing more respect for their employees to ensure stable operations. For example, at Haivina Kim Lien Company, every morning when workers arrive at the factory, all the factory leaders are waiting to greet them. Most companies have established trade unions, held dialogues with workers, and improved working conditions and meals.

One of the priorities of the Nghe An provincial leadership is to create a job fund in 2015 to reduce the burden of labor and employment in the province, especially for trained workers. Following the direction of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and the districts, cities, and towns will investigate and compile a sufficient number of workers in need of employment with different skill levels. This will provide the province with a basis for working with corporations, general companies, and factories to create more job opportunities for workers, while also supporting units and businesses in recruiting labor to serve production and business development. Thus, it can be seen that opportunities are wide open for all workers in the province, with skilled workers who can quickly adapt to new jobs always being prioritized. However, given the volatile and challenging economic situation, increased investment and input costs, along with rising wages, are putting significant pressure on businesses. This also requires the understanding and cooperation of workers to support businesses on their path to development.

Chau Lan