Vietnam and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan are gradually concretising their labour cooperation agreement to connect Vietnamese human resources with employment opportunities in Canada while establishing transparent and fair recruitment mechanisms that safeguard workers’ rights.

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This was a key focus of a working visit to Canada last week by a delegation from the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Deputy Minister Vu Chien Thang.

The visit aimed to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour cooperation signed between Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the provincial government of Saskatchewan in August.

During meetings with provincial authorities, training institutions and recruitment organisations, the two sides discussed practical issues concerning labour demand, recruitment requirements and mechanisms to protect Vietnamese workers taking up employment in Canada.

The delegation held working sessions with Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Immigration and Career Training and Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to learn about the province’s labour demand, legal framework and mechanisms for protecting foreign workers.

Saskatchewan needs around 130,000 additional workers over the next five years to meet its local labour requirements.

Recruitment will focus on manufacturing, mining, healthcare, agriculture and energy, particularly skilled workers and those with relevant professional qualifications.

A key issue of the discussion involved the principle of allocating of responsibility for recruitment costs.

Vietnamese workers will not be required to pay recruitment fees or airfares from Vietnam to Saskatchewan, as these expenses will be covered by employers in the province.

The two sides agreed on the need to further study and develop recruitment procedures, clarify occupational standards, establish mechanisms for the recognition of qualifications and certificates, and define admission requirements, ensuring that the process is transparent, fair and ethical.

At the Vietnam-Saskatchewan Labour Cooperation Forum, representatives of provincial authorities and industry associations discussed opportunities to better match labour supply with demand.

Addressing the forum, Deputy Minister Thang affirmed that labour cooperation is an important pillar of Vietnam-Canada relations, in line with the substance of the recently upgraded Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

He emphasised that Vietnam stands ready to work with Saskatchewan and relevant Canadian agencies while proactively preparing a workforce capable of meeting Canada's requirements in terms of professional qualifications, occupational skills and foreign language proficiency.

He suggested maintaining regular contact through designated channels to clarify hiring needs by sector, job position and specific intake criteria.

Timely and complete information will enable Vietnam to prepare suitable workers in advance and facilitate effective connections and cooperation between businesses in the two countries.

Participants also discussed plans to implement the MoU, establish mechanisms for exchanging information on recruitment demand, and support Vietnamese enterprises specialising in sending workers abroad in connecting with employers in Saskatchewan.

As part of the visit, the delegation also met with Saskatchewan Deputy Minister of Trade and Export Development Richelle Bourgoin, and visited the University of Regina, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and a healthcare workforce recruitment centre to explore opportunities for cooperation in training, skills development and workforce matching in line with the province's needs.

They also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa, briefing Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang on the visit's outcomes.

Deputy Minister Thang hailed the Embassy's coordination in facilitating the MoU signing and requested continued support to maintain bilateral exchanges.

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