Human-resources paradox  Many central provinces complained that they could not recruit well-trained people to government agencies but many college graduates, even those who were trained abroad, bemoaned that they could not find a job at state agencies in their hometowns. Not easy to attract talents    Dr. Nguyen Hoang Cam, Deputy director of the Department of Information and Communications of Da Nang City. Some provinces have spread out red carpets to welcome talents for years but they could not attract high quality human resources. At the same time, the local well-trained human resources are not used. Facing a shortage of manpower, especially well-trained people, the central province of Ninh Thuan has issued a number of preferential policies for people with university or higher degrees working in local government agencies. However, in the health sector alone, since 2006, 45 people have quit their jobs. "The policy to attract well-trained human resources of Ninh Thuan is not attractive enough," a health official said. In 2012, when the central province of Quang Binh issued the policy to attract well-trained human resources, 14 state agencies in the province immediately announced to recruit 84 employees. However, they received only 24 applications. After three times, Quang Binh recruited only 12 people. According to Mr. Tran Thuynh, Director of the Finance Department, the policy to attract talents (a grant of VND30 million ($1,500) for a master's degree holder, VND10 million for a university degree holder and monthly allowances equivalent to the minimum salary in the first five years of work) does not work. Thuynh said that the working environment in Quang Binh is still poor and that is the major hindrance to attract talents. The central province of Quang Nam launched a talent invitation policy in 2008 but from 2008 to 2012, the province attracted only 32 master degree holders, who mainly worked at the QuangNam University. Mr. Luu Tan Lai, from the Quang Nam Department of Home Affairs said that this number is modest because the conditions to attract talented people in Quang Nam are limited. Among the central province, Da Nang city is the only one that is successful in luring well-trained human resources to government agencies. In the past 15 years, the city has attracted more than 1,000 officers and employees of high quality. Mr. Dang Cong Ngu, Director of Da Nang Department of Home Affairs, said those who have academic titles and are voluntary to work in the city are granted with a big amount of money once at the beginning. They also enjoy financial incentives, monthly allowances in the first five years, rent cheap apartments and are offered with promotion opportunities. At present, 20 percent of the city’s government officers are subjects to the talent recruiting policy, including 13 doctor degree holders, 224 master degree holders and 806 bachelors with excellent degrees. Among the talents who are invited to Da Nang, many people are holding leadership positions in state agencies, such as Dr. Ho Ky Minh, Director of the Institute for Social-Economic Development Research, Dr. Nguyen Phu Thai, Director of the Center for Development of High quality Human Resources, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Cam, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Cam said in early 2006 he quit his good job at a company to work for Da Nang, with lower salary because he liked the city leaders’ enthusiasm. Mr. Pham Kim Son, Director of the Da Nang Department of Information and Communications, said in the past five years, Da Nang always took the lead in the country for the ICT Index and that achievement is thanks to Dr. Cam’s contribution. Dr. Nguyen Phu Thai has suggested many policies to attract talents to Da Nang. Therefore, Da Nang’s contingent of state employees is getting younger and more powerful. Ngu confirmed that brain drain has never happened in Da Nang since it launched the talent recruiting policy. The secret for Da Nang’s success in attracting well-trained human resources is making a good working environment for them and giving them promotion opportunities, which other central provinces could not do. A big waste   Returning home after five years of study abroad with an excellent degree, Hau (right) failed to find a job in his hometown. Graduated from the University of Finance and Banking in 2008, with a desire to work in his hometown, Mr. Huynh Thanh Tu, a resident of Hoa Tam commune, Dong Hoa district, the central province of Phu Yen repeatedly applied for a job at the Hoa Tam commune People’s Committee, but he was rejected. Most recently, when the commune authorities recruited some policemen, Tu applied again but he was rejected, again. Too depressed, Tu stayed home to help his parents breeding shrimp. He has become a shrimp breeder and the knowledge he learned from the college has fallen to shrimp ponds. In 2007, Mr. Le Van Hau, a resident of Dien Hong commune, Dien Ban district, the central province of Quang Nam became a student of the Da Nang University of Technology. A year later, Hau surpassed dozens of candidates to win the Ministry of Education and Training’s scholarship to study in Romania, majored in petrochemicals. Returning home after five years of study with an excellent degree, Hau failed to find a job in his hometown. Hearing about Da Nang’s policy to recruit talents, Hau brought his profile to Da Nang but the recruitment ended. Hau temporarily stayed home to do farm works with his parents. Hau’s younger brother, Le Van Phat, is also a student of the Da Nang University of Technology who also received a scholarship to study in Russia, specialized in electronics and telecommunications. Hau wondered whether Phat would face the same situation when he returns home. "When I received the scholarship, I thought that I would quickly find a job after graduation to reduce the burden for my family. I always thought that I had to study hard to serve my hometown but it is too difficult to find a job," Hau said. In Tinh An commune, Son Tinh district, the central province of Quang Ngai, many engineers and bachelors have become workers. Mr. Bui Toi, chief of An Phu village, Tinh An commune, said that many poor families tried to support their children’s study in the hope of changing their lives but their children could not find a job in their hometown after graduation. “We’ve heard that the province has implemented the policy to attract talents from other provinces but many local bachelors and engineers are unemployed or become farmers and workers," Toi said. Mr. Le Van Tuan, a resident of An Phu village, graduated as an auto-electric engineer from a university in HCM City in 2010. He was determined to return to Quang Ngai to work for his hometown but he could not find a job. After several jobless years, Tuan applied to a Korean factory as a worker. Tuan said he would have to go to HCM City to seek a chance. Mr. Tran Nhat Linh, personnel manager of a garment company in Quang Ngai City, said that his company recently recruited 500 garment workers. Up to 165 workers have bachelor and engineer degrees, of all majors like petrochemical, accounting, finance and banking, business administration... More than 10 years of implementing the policy to attract talent, the central province of Nghe An has recruited just 145 people, including two doctors, 18 master degree holders, 30 bachelors with excellent degrees... This number is too small compared with the number of graduated students in Nghe An. According to a recent report by the local Department of Education and Training, Nghe An province has more than 7,000 people graduated from universities and colleges but they are still unemployed. The central province of Phu Yen reports to have nearly 1,000 unemployed bachelors who graduated from teacher training colleges. A big question is why this situation happens? Compiled by Minh Khue, VietNamNet Bridge