Signatories to the agreement included Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Vietnam Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair and Yana Gisawa, President of the Association of International Human Resource Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (IMM Japan).

Under the agreement, around 1,000 Vietnamese apprentices will go to Japan to attend one-year vocational training courses. 

Addressing the signing ceremony, Minister Ngan highlighted IMM Japan’s cooperation in training Vietnamese apprentices last period. As a result, trainees have improved their professional skills and become more disciplined.

Ms Ngan expressed her hope that both sides would continue to promote cooperation in effectively implementing the programme on training apprentices between the two countries in future. She added that the signing of the agreement has affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to promoting cooperation in vocational training between the two countries.

For his part, the President of IMM Japan, Yana Gisawa thanked Vietnam for co-operating with the IMM.

He said that although the programme has revealed some shortcomings, it has contributed to strengthening socio-economic development, mutual understanding and the relationship between the two countries. He also pledged to implement the agreement as soon as possible in order to help Vietnamese apprentices improve their vocational skills and improve their long-term employment chances on their return to Vietnam.