Viet Nam

The Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Thailand (PROMISE) project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) aims to improve the employability of migrants; to promote safe migration from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar into Thailand; and to contribute to poverty reduction in the region.

The ASEAN University Network is tasked to promote higher education, increase linkages between universities and encourage credit transfers in ASEAN+3 countries. In realization of this vital mission, the “ASEAN +3 Higher Education Policy Dialogue” was successfully convened in Phuket, Thailand in March 2009 with full support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, the Office of Higher Education Commission, Thailand and the AUN Secretariat. 

All ASEAN Member States adopted  in 2007 the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

The Declaration underlines ASEAN Member States’ commitments to, among others, promote decent, humane, and dignified employment, as well as prevent and curb smuggling and trafficking of persons. Indonesia and ASEAN member states are now working towards the establishment of a legally-binding instrument on the protection of all migrant workers, regardless of their employment status.

Due to the lack of a national migration data system a first Migration Profile (MP) project in 2010, which culminated in the publication of “A Review on Vietnamese Migration Abroad”, was implemented by the Government of Viet Nam in partnership with the International Organization of Migration.

The "ProRecognition" project, launched by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) in autumn 2015 with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has established recognition consulting services at eight AHK locations.

The Vietnam Association of Manpower Supply (VAMAS) Code of Conduct (COC-VN) was adopted in 2010, and 108 recruitment agencies signed up to commit to its principles and guidelines relating to various aspects of the recruitment process (fees, contracts, pre-departure training, dispute settlement, etc.).

The ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour is an open platform for the review, discussion and exchange of the best practices and ideas between governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and civil society stakeholders on key issues facing migrant workers in ASEAN. The forum also has produced recommendations to advance the implementation of the principle of the ASEAN declaration and protection and promotion of the rights of the migrant workers. 

Wells Fargo has made inroads to Vietnam by partnering with the Commercial Bank of Vietnam (Incombank) by offering an account-to-account remittance program. Customers in the United States can send up to $3,000 a day to Vietnam for $8. As one of the largest banks in Vietnam, Incombank gives recipients an opportunity to claim their funds at more than 700 branches and 400 ATMs throughout Vietnam.

In Vietnam, Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs) were established in the employment service centres run by the Provincial Department of Labour in 2011. This model of an integrated service offers ample opportunity for scale and sustainability. It is estimated that 20% of job seekers that visit the employment service centers are interested in working outside of the country. In addition to the typical drop-in and outreach service, this model also allows for potential migrants to be reached through job fairs.  Counseling is provided through outreach activities, online and over the phone.

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