[25-07-2010] Vietnam’s population, now at the “golden stage? offers many opportunities for the country’s economic growth.
Grasping the opportunities
The golden period of a population, when the number of working people exceeds the number of dependant people, is supposed to last 30 years (2010-2040).

It is a golden opportunity for Vietnam to take advantage of a young labour force and push its economic growth, especially in the 2011-2020 period, when the country is striving to become an industrial and middle income country.

However, experts say, having a golden population is not necessarily good for economic growth and human development and Vietnam will miss out if it does not introduce the right policies.

According to experts from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Vietnam needs to formulate better policies for education and training; labour, employment and human resources; medical care; and social security. Otherwise, it will miss out on opportunities for long-term growth.

Without a good policy on education and training, Vietnam cannot maintain an adequate workforce that can meet the requirements of the labour market, and this will lead to an increase in the unemployment rate.

Similarly, if the country does not have a good healthcare policy, it cannot maintain reproductive health, and could see a rising rate of unexpected pregnancies, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases.

If inadequate policies on social security are put in place, it will be difficult for Vietnam to deal with its ageing population. If the workforce cannot earn enough to support themselves and also save for retirement, the state may not be able to support them when they get older.

Improving the quality of the workforce

According to Duong Quoc Trong, Director of the General Office of Population and Family Planning, a golden population provides the opportunity of a lifetime for any community but also presents a challenge, if most of the workers remain unskilled.

Data collection and analysis will help Vietnam devise good policies and strategies to improve the quality of the labour force by developing health care, education and training, especially in science and technology, says Trong.

Dr Nguyen Lan Huong, head of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs say that with a “golden population? the restructuring of labour will increase in pace, and many rural workers will need to be trained to do jobs in the industrial and service sectors.

Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, head of the Institute for Population and Social Affairs, says Vietnam’s “golden population?has resulted from family planning. “With the birth rate falling, we have the right conditions to improve the quality of education and health care for children. If families have one to two children, gender equality in Vietnam will improve significantly,?he analyses.

Mr Cu adds that people should plan for their old age while they are still young. Young people need to plan their family life carefully and avoid getting involved in social evils so they will stay healthy and reduce the burden on social welfare services.

The government needs to create a wise social welfare policy and establish welfare funds for old people, especially those in rural areas who do not have pensions.

Devising human resources management strategy

Nguyen Hong Thuan, of the Ministry of Education and Training says the Ministry plans to put forward a management and human resources development strategy which encourages all economic sectors to get involved in education and training, especially in vocational training and international cooperation.

In a period of “golden population? the young labour force will increase significantly. The education sector has a challenging task to train workers who will double in number between now and 2020.

Van Tat Pham, head of the provincial Population Department in Ha Nam province says that to seize opportunities and overcome challenges in the context of a “golden population? it is essential to implement family planning and population control effectively and reduce the gender gaps. Therefore, population collaborators play an important role in society. To encourage them to make further contributions, it is desirable to improve their incomes.

Source: CPV/VOVNEWS