People in central region supported with vocational training, jobs

Around 263,000 people in coastal districts of the four central provinces affected by the contaminated marine environment due to Formosa’s discharge of toxic waste will be supported with vocational training as well as local and overseas employment opportunities. 

The information was released by Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep at a press conference held in Hanoi on July 5.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) will prioritise an increase of recruitments for workers from the affected provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue in their labour export programmes to the Republic of Korea, Japan and Germany.

The ministry will ask the Overseas Labour Management Department to invite big businesses to support the targeted people in the businesses’ labour export programmes.

Labour export for inshore fishing in Taiwan (China) and Thailand with low costs will be enhanced, said the MOLISA.

The ministry will also provide preferential loans and support career changing and introduction for workers in the four localities and neighbouring provinces.

After the reason for the mass fish death was announced, the four affected provinces reviewed consequences and sought solutions to recover production, stabilise people’s lives and ensure social security and order.

Ha Tinh province promptly provided rice and money for targeted communities as regulated, supported them with 100% costs for medical insurance and helped fishermen to build fishing vessels, buy fishing equipment and shift their careers.

The Thua Thien-Hue Department of Natural Resources and Environment continues to take samples of sea water in order to evaluate the coastal marine environment and has recommended policies to support fishermen to conduct offshore fishing.

The Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee sent dispatches to the coastal localities of Vinh Linh, Gio Linh, Trieu Phong and Hai Lang on establishing councils and collaborated with relevant departments and agencies to evaluate consequences and seek suitable solutions. Quang Tri province aided 804 tonnes of rice and over VND8 billion (US$360,000) for disadvantaged families in coastal communes.