With rapid economic growth, Ben Cat district now focuses on developing all aspects to become a flexible locality. Speeding up vocational training for rural laborers is part of the plan. In the first half of 2013, the whole district opened 26 vocational training classes with the participation of thousands of learners. Of these, there were 16 agricultural vocational training classes and 10 non-agricultural ones.

Meeting demands

Since 2009, Ben Cat district has promoted a program on vocational training for rural laborers in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Decision No.1956/QD-TTg on vocational training for rural laborers till 2020.  

The father of Nguyen Hong Dieu tending his family’s orchid garden

This is a cooperation program between provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the district’s Division of Economics and the People’s Committees of communes, township and some relevant agencies and it has been implemented under the instruction of the district’s Party Committee and People’s Committee, according to Nguyen Phu Cuong, Deputy Head of the district’s Division of Economics.

Along with agricultural field, the district’s Party Committee and People’s Committee have conducted relevant agencies to jointly organize non-agricultural vocational training classes for the local rural laborers. Noticeably, many classes on industrial sewing, industrial electricity, computer repairing, motorbike repairing, hairdressing…were organized over the past time, absorbing hundreds of learners. Nguyen Van Sang, Deputy Head of Ben Cat district’s Division of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said: “Most learners participating the above classes have sought jobs with stable income”.

Bringing into reality

Till now, the district’s vocational training program for rural laborers has been implemented for four years. There have been thousands of learners to seek stable jobs after graduation. Noticeably, some outstanding learners have found and developed new business models.

Nguyen Hong Dieu, 36, a teacher of Ben Cat high school said: “Besides of my passion to orchids plus knowledge learnt from a class on how to grow and tend orchids organized by Ben Cat district, I have bravely asked for my family to chop down rubber trees for developing the largest orchid garden in Chanh Phu Hoa commune at present…”.

Many other learners have also found their own development ways. Recently, the district’s communes of Tru Van Tho, Cay Truong…have witnessed the birth of many motorbike repairing and photocopy shops from learners participating the local vocational training classes for rural laborers.

Moreover, learners have helped their families to expand production models after attending classes on cultivation and animal husbandry techniques. They have researched and developed many unique models, including the models of “breeding chickens in association with crocodiles” in Long Nguyen, “breeding pigs in association with iguanas” in Tru Van Tho…Possibly speaking, learners have step by step brought their knowledge learnt from the local classes on vocational training for rural laborers into reality, contributing to meeting the demands for the local development.

Reported by Dinh Thang-Translated by K.T