The launching of an agreement between Vietnam and Australia on supporting Vietnamese workers to work in Australia. (photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam announced the launch of the program last week. The Vietnamese workers can contract to work short-term from 6 to 9 months or long-term from 1 to 4 years in farming, meat processing, aquaculture, or forestry.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan said: “The agreement meets Vietnamese workers’ wish to work in Australia, improve their foreign language, accumulate knowledges, strengthen skills, and increase their income. Australia has set criteria for qualifying employers to receive and employ the Vietnamese workers.”

In the first year of the program, one public agency and a maximum of six employment service enterprises will be selected to participate.

Deputy Minister Hoan said: “The Overseas Labor Center and 6 enterprises were selected by Australia to participate in the program through an open, transparent, and fair process. I believe close cooperation between Vietnam and Australia in human resource training for the agriculture sector will contribute to enhancing the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries.”

Australian Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Renée Deschamps said this program will help fill labor vacancies in rural areas of Australia and give Vietnamese workers an opportunity to improve their experience and skills. Once recruited and granted a visa, they will work in Australia under the Pacific-Australia Labor Mobility Program.