A vocational training class for disabled children at the provincial centre for social work.

Be employed, be happy

Nguyen Thi Ly, in Lang Giang district’s Huong Son commune has suffered an abnormal growth since she was born in 1988. In spite of her tiny body, she passed an entrance exam of the Sao Do College of Industry in 2008 (now the Sao Do University – Hai  Duong). After graduating from the Faculty of Garment Industry, she was recruited by the Bac Giang Garment Joint Stock Company. She has been working in the storage division for six years, earning about 6.5 million VND (300 USD) per month and leading a stable life. “Thanks to the care from the company’s leaders, I have been enabled to work in a position that fits my physical health conditions. My workmates have also assisted me so I have always tried to fulfill all my tasks. I feel lucky to have a job and a happy family,” Ly said.

 After five years of living at the Phu Quy Humanity Centre in Bac Giang city, Ngo Thi Yen, born in 1991, from Dong Lac commune, Yen The district, came back to the community in 2010. We met Yen by chance and felt happy for her because her life has changed remarkably. She is the second among three children in her family. Despite being born deaf and dump, Yen was sill agile and skillful enough to learn embroidering and sewing skills at the centre. Knowing her ability, her family kept a high hope and helped her apply for a job in many places so that she can lead a normal life. Finally, a local company decided to employ her. With a stable income from the job, the young girl became more confident and happy. Her parents feel secure about her.

Ly and Yen are among many local disabled people who have received vocational training and found jobs thanks to social welfare policies of the Government and the province. Since 2012, as part of activities to implement the Government’s plan on supporting the disabled to integrate into the community, the province has spent over 5 billion VND to conduct 60 vocational training courses, mostly on rattan and bamboo weaving, industrial sewing and massage, benefiting around 1,500 people.

Community joins hands

Nguyen Thi Ly (right) leads a stable life thanks to her job at the Bac Giang Garment Joint Stock Company.

It can be seen that policies on vocational training support and employment creation have brought in a lot of humanitarian meanings, but low efficiency. Nearly 6,000 disabled people in the province currently have employments but only 7 percent of them maintain stable jobs and incomes.

Nguyen Van Ngoc, Head of the Social Sponsorship Division under the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said most of disabled people have received short-term vocational training and worked at charity organizations or small production and trade establishments.   

A certain number of establishments have been offering both training courses and jobs for the disabled such as the Thien Phuc and Phu Quy humanitarian centres, and a war invalids’ craft cooperative in Viet Lap commune, Tan Yen district.

In addition to limited occupational skills, low education level is also an obstacle hindering people with disabilities to obtain a stable job. Statistics showed that only 9.4 percent of the handicapped had completed high school education, thus many of them, despite having working capacity, are unable to find jobs and have to rely on their families.

Social welfare policies, the Law on Persons with Disabilities and Government decrees stipulate that agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals are not permitted to deny and have to ensure that eligible disabled workers account for between 2 and 3 percent of their workforce. In fact, not many firms and production establishments abide by the regulations.

Phi Van Duyet, Head of the Personnel Administration Division of the Bac Giang Garment Joint Stock Company, said since it was established, his company has hired dozens of disabled employees, who are generally responsible for their work and fulfill their duties.

“However, due to difficulties in guiding and assigning tasks to the disabled, we have yet to apply specific preferential treatment when recruiting them,” Duyet added.

Disabled people with working capacity do not want to become a burden of their families and society. Creating stable and suitable jobs for them is a practical solution to alleviate poverty. 

Truong Duc Huan, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said: “In the coming time, the sector plans to focus on studying the disbaled’s specific demand for vocational training, developing programmes that help them learn and work at the same time, and establishing links with enterprises and production establishments to offer sustainable employments. The employment services centre is tasked with organising job fairs to introduce suitable vacancies for vulnerable groups. In addition, the department will keep a close watch on the implementation of preferential policies and promoting the recruitment of people with disabilities. Disabled people also need to make efforts in studying and improving their knowledge and occupational skills.”

Tuong Vi