A more sustainable textiles and garment sector for Viet Nam

HANOI, Viet Nam (ILO News) - The textiles and garment sector, one of the biggest manufacturing sectors in Viet Nam, plays an important in the national economy and in providing jobs, but it is also a large contributor to environmental pollution. This was shared at the seminar: “Greening the Textiles and Garment sector in Viet Nam: Skills Needs - Challenges and Opportunities”, held on 2 August 2023 in Hanoi.

The seminar brought together tripartite constituents and industry stakeholders to discuss the importance of skills development for the sector's transition to a more sustainable future.

The participants agreed that the sector needs to invest in skilling, reskilling, and upskilling in order to meet the increasing demand for green skills. They also agreed that the government, employers, and workers need to work together to develop a sustainable textiles and garment sector that can compete in the global market.

ILO Viet Nam Country Director, Ms Ingrid Christensen highlighted: "The green transformation of the textiles and garment sector is a major challenge, but it is also an opportunity. By investing in skills development, we can ensure that workers have the skills they need to succeed in the green economy. This will create new jobs, improve productivity, and boost competitiveness. It will also help to protect the environment and create a more sustainable future for all."

ILO organized the seminar with the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs with the support of the Governments of the Netherlands and Japan.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Viet Nam, Mr Kees van Baar said: “Greening the sector is not just about technology. Long term sustainable growth of the sector means taking into account all aspects environmental, economic, and social factors. A crucial factor is skilled labour. The sector needs pioneering leaders to drive change, young, circular and sustainable designs, , highly technical people to design and deploy green technologies and well-trained compliance officers”.

“Sustainable development and green production are inevitable trends of Viet Nam's textile and garment sector. It is therefore necessary to invest in human resource development. The industries are in urgent need of skilled workers with green skills such as technicians in dyeing, weaving, renewable energy, design of new and environmental-friendly materials, environmental engineering, wastewater treatment, etc. There is a need for further research on skills-needs assessment in the industries for developing a specific roadmap for successful green transition” – said Mr Truong Van Cam, VITAS Vice-Chairman cum General Secretary.

Mr Dao Trong Do, Director of Continuing Training Department, DVET, MOLISA appreciated the opportunity for vocational education and training (VET) institutes to better understand the needs of the industries: “Linking VET institutions and enterprises in the design and delivery of training and re-training, identification of skills needs associated with the sector and economic regions is the key for the demand-driven skills development, especially skills required for the green transformation”.

The seminar is part of ILO’s Future of Work in Textile and Clothing project. The project aims to contribute to the implementation of development strategy of vocational education and training (VET) for the period of 2021-2030 with a vision to 2045 in the sector, and to support the Government’s on-going efforts for increasing productivity and promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the textiles and garment sector.