Vietnam Renews Youth Development Strategy Towards 2030, Focusing on Digital Skills, Language Proficiency, and Vocational Training

The Vietnamese government has renewed its youth development strategy for the 2021–2030 period, setting ambitious goals to equip young people with critical skills and opportunities. The updated strategy places a significant emphasis on enhancing national defense and security education, improving foreign language proficiency, and fostering greater engagement in science and technology. Key targets for 2030 include ensuring that 80 percent of young workers and 75 percent of youth residing in rural areas, as well as those from ethnic minority and mountainous regions, receive education and training in national defense and security. Concurrently, the strategy aims for at least 30 percent of young individuals to achieve Level 3 or higher proficiency in foreign languages, as defined by the Vietnamese Foreign Language Competency Framework. In the domain of science and technology, the government intends to spur innovation by increasing the number of research projects spearheaded by young people by 15 percent. It also plans to grow the workforce in science and technology organizations by 10 percent compared to 2020. To cultivate a highly skilled young workforce, the strategy mandates that 80 percent of young people acquire fundamental digital knowledge and skills, with a further 40 percent expected to master advanced digital competencies, including the practical application of artificial intelligence (AI). The vocational training component of the strategy is designed to ensure that 70 percent of young people receive vocational training or gain occupational skills aligned with the National Skills Qualification Frameworks. Special attention is given to vulnerable youth, with plans to provide government support for vocational skill development to half of these individuals. On the employment front, the strategy aims for 70 percent of young people to secure sustainable jobs, including green jobs, or to be employed in high-growth sectors such as the digital economy and high-tech industries, or other areas prioritized for national development. Over the next five years, the government is committed to creating stable employment for over 50 percent of young people in ethnic minority and mountainous regions and disadvantaged areas. Furthermore, the strategy includes provisions to create stable job opportunities for 30 percent of young people with disabilities, individuals living with HIV, those who have completed drug rehabilitation or correctional programs, and stateless Vietnamese youth.