BERLIN — A pilot project of Germany on training Vietnamese nurses has proved effective, as was reported at a seminar reviewing the project held in Berlin.

The seminar was organised by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Conducted by the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the project has trained 200 Vietnamese nurses since 2012.

Over half of them have completed the course and have received work permits in Germany. 

More than 95 per cent of the German training establishments involved in the programme spoke highly of the Vietnamese trainees’ diligence and was willing to welcome more candidates from Việt Nam. 

As the elderly population in Germany is rapidly increasing, the government has set a target of training and recruiting 8,000-13,000 nurses from now until 2021 at home or from third-world countries, including Việt Nam. 

Minister Counsellor at the Vietnamese embassy in Germany Nguyễn Hữu Tráng highlighted cooperation opportunities between Việt Nam and Germany, especially in labour training and exchange. According to him, Việt Nam now has a golden population structure, with over 63 million people, or 68.7 per cent of the population, in the working age.

During their visits to Việt Nam this year, leaders of the German states of Hamburg, Bremen, Rheinland Pflaz and Mecklenburg Vorpommern proposed boosting labour and vocational training cooperation with Việt Nam, including training of nurses. 

Tráng took the opportunity to ask Germany to simplify immigration procedures, especially for Vietnamese trainees. 

Việt Nam now has agreements on training and employment of skilled labourers with over 10 countries, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan (China), Australia and Belgium. Currently, more than 53,000 Vietnamese work in 37 countries. —VNS