Overhaul set for guest-worker program  The Vietnam government has announced sweeping changes to the guest worker program, in a bid to dramatically increase the number of skilled labourers working in foreign markets. The revised regulations, many months in the works, would make it easier for youth with postsecondary training to get good paying jobs in markets like Japan and Germany, said the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.  Building upon the success of last year, which saw a record 1.6 million guest workers, the Ministry has implemented a number of administrative fixes to boost yet even higher employment figures in the program. One of the more pressing problems for today’s college and university graduates is finding suitable employment in the domestic economy, said Ministry representatives. Far too often students are graduating without being able to find jobs due to a mismatch of skills and needs. In the fourth quarter of last year alone, an estimated 220,000 recent graduates found themselves unemployed. Our goal is to reduce that number by helping these youth find positions in foreign markets through the guest worker program, the Ministry noted. Dao Trong Thi, former chair of the Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children of the National Assembly, said that more than just an administrative fix is needed to resolve the chronic unemployment problems but these changes are a great first step. Ultimately, the real solution to the unemployment crisis among the young is better consultation of students to insure they are seeking employable training along with improved goal setting for achieving national economic growth. Deputy Minister Doan Mau Nghiep of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs agrees wholeheartedly. The new regulations are a boon to youth, who have long complained that the education system is failing them, Nghiep noted. It is also important to not lose sight of the fact that they help these young people obtain invaluable work experience working in an international setting. The new policies encourage the development of a long-term strategy that sets the proper priorities and contain an appropriate level of coordination among pertinent governmental ministries and agencies to insure they operate both efficiently and effectively. The changes that have been given effect prioritize sending medical practitioners and nursing professionals to Japan and Germany with skilled information technology, electronics, communications, biology and agriculture graduates to Japan. Those with degrees related to mechanical engineering will go to the Republic of Korea (ROK), and several European and Middle East countries. While those with degrees in cooking and the culinary arts will work in the ROK. The ministry is also currently studying new markets like Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Israel. Pham Viet Huong, deputy head of the Department for Overseas Labour Management, said this year many new opportunities have opened up for college graduates with high skill levels in Japan and Germany. These new opportunities have all come about as a result of the new sweeping changes brought about by the overhaul of the guest worker program. It shows the guest worker program reform is very valuable and already paying huge dividends. VOV