Youth join a tree-planting festival in Huế City. Youth plays an important role in the nation’s sustainable development. — VNA/VNS Photo Mai Trang

Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — As the country looks to its next chapter, youth are taking centre stage in shaping Việt Nam’s future, with leaders reaffirming their pivotal role in national development.

Youth play an important role and position in the country's development process, said Nguyễn Tường Lâm, Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and Chairman of the Việt Nam Youth Union.

He emphasised that young people have always received special attention from the Party and the State. In recent years, leaders from central to local levels have maintained dialogues with the youth, affirming their vanguard role.

Last year, the dialogue focused on many major and practical issues directly related to young people’s lives and development, prominently including sustainable employment, skills training and access to health care, education and social welfare services for youth, especially young workers, freelance labourers and vulnerable youth of young people.

Nation’s future

Experts and youth gather at the workshop. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

To create in-depth consultation channels to listen to young people’s opinions, the workshop entitled Youth voices on health care, education and employment in the current period, was held both in person and online, with the participation of experts in the field and young people from Hà Nội and other localities nationwide.

The event was co-organised by the Central Youth Union and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Speaking at the workshop, Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Việt Nam, quoted Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, who said: "Youth is the key factor in shaping and developing the country’s future, the pillar to bring the country firmly into the new era."

“This vision highlights the role of youth in supporting Việt Nam’s ambition to reach high-income status by 2045. By amplifying youth voices on what they need from health, education and employment, you are laying the foundation for your vision for the future.”

UNFPA has supported the Government in revising the Youth Law of 2020.

“One of the most significant achievements of this law in Article 10 is the establishment of an annual dialogue with youth,” he said.

These dialogues ensure that young people’s voices are actively considered in the implementation and revision of youth-related laws and policies. Young people are not passive beneficiaries of policies but active contributors to shaping them.

“One of UNFPA’s core missions is to ensure that every young person can realise their full potential. We understand the importance of meaningful youth participation and youth-centred approaches,” Jackson said.

Quality health care, inclusive education and decent work are three essential pillars that shape the future of young people and, by extension, the progress of society. These three pillars are deeply interconnected: healthy youth learn better and work more productively; education provides the skills to secure decent jobs; and employment provides the resources to maintain health and invest in further learning.

Together, these foundations harness the demographic dividend, ensuring that young people are active drivers of progress.

“Youth empowerment is key to achieving Việt Nam’s socio-economic aims. For this to happen, we must ensure that young people have bodily autonomy and are treated equally, that they are all included and that no one is left behind,” said Jackson.

Nguyễn Tường Lâm, Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, speaks at the event. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Nguyễn Chí Trường, an expert from the Vocational Education and General Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, said: "Youth with skills, the nation with a future."

Trường said that although young people are the mainstay force contributing significantly to gross domestic product (GDP) and the State budget, a large proportion still severely lack both basic skills such as digital literacy, occupational safety and specialised skills required for international integration.

He revealed a concerning figure: of the current 52.5 million workers, more than 70 per cent lack standardised qualifications or certificates.

Regarding policy, Trường highlighted new points in the amended Law on Employment, which shifts thinking from mere management to building a vocational skills ecosystem.

Nevertheless, he noted that current recruitment and salary practices in Việt Nam remain overly focused on degrees, neglecting actual skill levels.

This creates a significant gap between training in schools and real needs in the labour market, leading to wasted resources as skilled individuals without degrees are not appropriately rewarded.

Work together

Bùi Việt Hùng, Secretary of the Hoàng Văn Thụ Village Youth Union in Sơn La Province, is a good example of a young people’s start-up for sustainable economic development. — VNA/VNS Photo Quang Quyết

Trường proposed standardising a national skills framework aligned with international standards, strengthening links between enterprises and schools and, in particular, establishing mechanisms to recognise workers’ skills based on actual competence rather than solely on diplomas.

Trần An Chung, an official from the Administration of Maternal and Child Affairs under the Ministry of Health, emphasised that young people account for 27 per cent of the population and are a vital human resource for the country, yet they face significant health risks.

He stressed the need to innovate communication efforts and strengthen reproductive health education in schools and industrial zones.

Chung called for close coordination between the health sector, the Youth Union and families to provide official information channels and friendly and confidential health care services, enabling young people to be more autonomous and safe in managing their own health.

Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Việt Nam, shares his points of view at the workshop. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Jackson called on young people to raise their voices.

“You bring unique perspectives and experiences that will enrich our discussions and outcomes. I encourage you to raise your voices, share your ideas, collaborate with one another and help us shape a future that reflects your aspirations,” he said.

UNFPA will continue to work with the Government, the Youth Union and all partners to ensure that young people have equal access to quality health services, inclusive education and decent employment opportunities, working towards a society where young people, in all their diversity, shape and build Việt Nam’s strong future. — VNS